Rumors of War
by TheStarr
Summary: When Will, Gilan and Kayle stumble upon the lone survivor of a horrific tragedy, things start happening and war threatens. He knows something that could make the difference between victory and defeat, but revealing what he knows could cost him his life.
1. Prologue

*Disclaimer: since I am obviously not John Flanagan, I do not own any of his characters, nor the world he created; that is his honor, not mine. However, the story plot is mine, sprung from my wildly out of control imagination, as are some of the characters.

_**Prologue**_

_The evening was thick with shadows; and some of them were alive. One of them emerged from the darkness;._

_"Enough of this petty competition, we have rumors to spread, an intelligence force to infiltrate, and a kingdom to overthrow. If we all stay hidden to show off our skill in unseen movement, we'll never get anything accomplished."_

_"You would do better to stay silent than to speak our plans aloud. You know we were waiting for your signal." The second one reprimanded as it stepped forth. "And when you speak of 'petty competition', do you speak of yourself?"_

_"There is no time for meaningless arguments either; we have much to do if we're going to do it quickly, cleanly, and as smoothly as possible: everyone hates a bloody war." A third spake, seeming to appear from nowhere to step between the first two._

_"We all have to be of one mind if we're going to pull this off successfully." A soft voice stated as it's owner walked up. "Now, we're all here; except our infiltrator. Where is he?"_

_"He's-" A sound made him break off; the sound of a horse walking. The four looked up to see a well built stallion, whose speed and endurance was clearly testified in every line of his compact body; the kind of horse that people fight wars over, but they had eyes only for his rider. _

_"Looking for me?" A cold voice asked from behind. _

_"Didn't anyone ever teach you not to give away your position unless you-" The first began to lecture, until he saw the scimitar whose point rested not three inches from his chest. "Well met. You are indeed ready for this mission, young one. I hope you have tempered your skill with wisdom, for you will need it."_

_"I am more ready than anyone has been since the dawn of time. Give me a task and I shall not fail."_

_"Failure is not in our vocabulary. Are you sure this is the one?" The fourth asked, looking to the second for an answer._

_"There is none better. The world has never known the like; death is his blade and danger his shadow. I'd rather cross blades with the Devil himself." He stated flatly._

_"Blades maybe, but what of his bow?" The first remarked sarcastically. He wasn't even finished before the scimitar vanished and a bow materialized; the thrum of a bowstring was loud in the clearing as the boy fired: one, two, three, four, five, done so smoothly and quickly that to those listening, all five shots sounded as one. All of them hit their chosen target._

_"They won't know what hit them." Cold eyes looked to the first, daring him to fault the skill which had just been proved. _

_"Blade of fire, bow of lightning, burn of ice, strength of steel; one such as this cannot fail." The third whispered, a feeling of strange foreboding chilling him to the core. The second stood next to his apprentice, and the words he spoke seemed to reverberate throughout the clearing long after it was empty:_

_"The prophecy has been fulfilled."_

* * *

_Two riders walked their horses in the fading light of dusk; side by side, and obviously in no hurry, both lost deep in thought._

_"Everything has been properly set up, all you have to do is be there." The older one said, his deep voice breaking the silence between them. _

_"I know what must be done, Gabriel; I won't let you down." The other whispered softly. He turned to look at his daughter, riding tall; he could feel old memories flooding his mind; but he kept himself cold and aloof._

_"All our hopes ride on you." Just then, a flicker of movement caught his eye; the signal. This was goodbye. Having seen it as well, his daughter nudged her horse into a lope; before she got out of hearing, he called to her once more; "May God be with you!" In answer, she raised her hand in farewell before pushing her horse into a gallop. In a matter of seconds, she was out of sight. "And may His angels keep you from harm." He whispered softly to himself; turning his horse into the trees, he let the horse pick his way as the memories of how things once were finally broke through his control. His face deep in the shadows of his cowl, no one could have seen him cry._

_Behind him, his daughter raced north. Her horse's speed was such that it could well be the reason for the tears leaving tracks down her face; but she knew that, if anything, it would be the Devil, not God, who would be with her._


	2. Ruins Of Wilder

***Disclaimer:** I do not own RA, only the characters I created (Leon and Kayle, for example)

* * *

**_Chapter 1_**

"Any ideas as to who killed them?" Gilan queried, looking up from the bloody corpse he was studying. "Because I have no idea."

"Me neither; anyone could have done this. But what I want to know is, why the whole town?" Will answered, surveying the destruction around them. "Whoever it was did a pretty thorough job; but that smoke is enough to draw people for miles..." His voice drifted off as he considered the situation.

"No one lives close enough to see it; we just happened to be passing through." Gilan reasoned; "As for why, the only thing I can think of is that they didn't want any retaliation; any honorable man will go after bandits that have taken all their women and children, not to mention their goods and livestock."

"They didn't take them."

* * *

They whirled around to see a young boy, who couldn't be older than 15, and looked like he'd seen a ghost; or something much worse, by the shape he was in.

"What happened? Can you tell us?" Gilan asked softly. The boy nodded and almost fell; it was all he could do to stay on his feet. Rushing to his side, Will reached him just as he collapsed, unable to remain standing.

"He's out cold. We'd better find a place to camp; I don't think he's up for travel." Will stated, taking in the boy's torn and bloodstained clothing, his pale and fatigued features. "He looks like he's been through hell and back."

"We passed a nice bit of level ground about a hundred paces back up the trail, it seems as good a place as any." Gilan suggested, then, turning, he called to his apprentice; "Kayle! Did you find anything?" A few minutes later he emerged from behind a livery barn on the outskirts, astride a small shaggy horse; when he got closer, Gilan noted that he was just as pale as the boy Will was working on trying to revive. He'd found something, but whatever it was, it couldn't be good.

* * *

Will studied the boy's face as he slept; too young to have had to experience such a tragedy. Restless, he tossed and turned, muttering under his breath; crying out, he sat bolt upright. Panicked he looked around wildly, calming down only when he saw Will;

"Lay back down and try to get some more rest, you're all in." Will advised; this was not going well, he, Gilan and Kayle were heading home from a long, drawn out assignment. Chasing down those outlaws had taken longer than they had anticipated: now they had stumbled upon a massacred village, whose only survivor was in no shape to make the trip back to Araluen without at least a couple days of rest and regular meals.

"How is he?" Gilan asked, pulling up to the camp and stepping down from the saddle, his apprentice right behind him. "And how's dinner coming?"

"Awake. And dinner is waiting to see if you happened upon any game while you were out." Will answered. "Our supplies are low." He added some more wood to the fire.

"Then we'll have to ration it; most of the game is still spooky from that." Gilan stated, nodding in the direction of the village. Kayle dug out the rations and went about fixing diner; the boy still hadn't said a word since he collapsed. It was no wonder, Kayle didn't feel like talking either, not after what he had seen.

"Do you have a name?" Gilan asked, turning to look at the boy; he was gazing in the direction of the town, slowly, he turned to Gilan, his eyes empty. "Or would you rather we just call you 'boy'.?" He just kept looking, his unblinking stare putting Gilan on edge; it reminded him too much of the stares of the dead, unblinking, eyes blank and emotionless. Finally, he spoke;

"Leon." He continued to look at Gilan for a few more moments, then looked back in the direction of the village.

"There wasn't anything you could've done to stop it." Will said softly from beside the fire. "Sometimes bad things happen and good people suffer; but life goes on." Leon looked at Will,

"Not for them it won't." He spoke so softly they almost couldn't hear him. "For them, it's over." He looked Kayle in the eye; "You saw it, didn't you." He stated, jerking his head toward the village. Kayle paled, then hesitantly nodded. Will and Gilan exchanged glances;

"What are you two talking about?" Gilan queried, puzzled; Leon turned to him and Will.

"Didn't you wonder why the smoke was to thick?" Leon said, "They didn't take them." He repeated. Realization dawned on them; Will looked pained, Gilan looked furious; both looked murderous.

"You mean- the women and children..." Will couldn't finish; Leon and Kayle nodded.

"Do you know who did it?" Gilan asked, the gears in his head turning.

"Just a large group of vagabonds. When they were... done, they got grossly drunk, then scattered and went separate ways." Leon answered, trying to shut out the memories that flitted through his mind. "But they aren't the only ones responsible. Whoever it was that paid them should be the punished as well."

"What makes you think they were paid?" Will prompted.

"It was all wrong; there wasn't hardly anything to take. It's too early for the crops to be in, a lot of the livestock is too young to sell well, and there's never any amount of money in town until after the excess crops and livestock are sold." He hesitated for a moment before continuing. "And besides that, Wilder was often a hang out for people who needed to lay low for awhile; so long as you kept to yourself, didn't steal from the townspeople, and didn't cause trouble you could be wanted for anything and no one would care." He drew a long breath and let it out; "But now there's nothing left." Having finished, he looked glumly at the pot on the fire.

"Well, I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm hungry. Who's up for dinner?" Gilan asked.

* * *

Gilan scraped the last bits of stew off the bottom of the pot and dumped it onto Kayle's dish.

"That's the last of it." He said, handing it back to Kayle; everyone else had already finished. Leon had used Kayle's dishes; he hadn't eaten a whole lot, but he'd chewed each bite like it was his last, savoring it like he hadn't eaten in days. _Who knows_, Kayle had thought; _maybe he hasn't._ Finally finished, he had handed the dish back to Kayle and leaned back, putting his hands out behind him. Will had tried to lighten Leon's mood, but it hadn't worked very well, and it was obvious that the carnage at Wilder was still on his mind. Finally, with dinner over, Kayle took first watch and the others drifted off to sleep.

* * *

"Your shift." Gilan called softly, touching Will's shoulder. Instantly awake, he was on his feet in moments.

"Anything?" He queried.

"Nothing; all quiet." Gilan answered, dropping onto his bedroll and wrapping his cloak around him.

* * *

_Just a few more hours till dawn_. Will thought. All was quiet; concealed in the shadows of a gnarled oak, he scanned the clearing constantly. As dawn approached, he found it harder to stay alert; they'd been traveling almost constantly for several weeks, first trying to catch up to the outlaws, then coming back. They were trying to make it back in time for the yearly festival; it was held at Castle Araluen, and the biggest event of the year; except for the Gathering, of course... A noise brought him back to the current situation;

"Are you sure they're round 'ere?" A voice questioned from the shadows near the trail, _Around a hundred paces away _Will estimated, knocking an arrow and bringing it back to full draw.

"Aye, I'm sure; but I'm not sure I'll be wanting to face 'em in the dark." Marking where the voices were coming from, Will scanned the campsite, noting Gilan and Kayle's empty bedrolls. _At least we weren't caught unawares,_ he thought, hoping that Leon was still asleep; he didn't know if the boy had any skill in remaining unseen and silent, nor did he want to risk the situation by trying to find out now. Just then a large figure stepped out of the shadows;

"Hello the camp!" The brigand called; Will aimed and was about to shoot when he felt the cold steel of a knife press against his ribs.

"I wouldn't do that if I was you, greenie."

* * *

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	3. Brigands

*Disclaimer: I am not John Flanagan, duh :P

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* * *

**_Chapter 2_**

Face down in the dirt, Gilan calmly assessed the situation as he worked at his bonds. Kayle had escaped during the brief struggle, he and Will were currently bound, but not gagged, and Leon had vanished. _Probably long gone, unless he's in cahoots with this lot; but most likely frightened off, after what happened in Wilder. Now if I could just locate Kayle..._ Slowly, Gilan shifted until he was sitting partially erect and was able to look around. Five men were seated around the fire eating an early breakfast, their horses tied to a rope strung between two trees near the Ranger horses. Behind him and to the left he heard a groan as Will regained consciousness; he had struggled too much for the liking of their captors, and so had been rendered unconscious to make him easier easier to handle.

"Well, it looks like feisty 'ere is finally comin' to."

* * *

Kayle watched from cover as his mentor sat up and began looking around; he had barely managed to twist free, then had watched from the safety of the trees as they had bound Gilan and Will and rekindled last nights fire. Now he waited patiently for the best opportunity to free them.

* * *

"Not so uppity now, are ya, greenie?" The man stood over them, obviously relishing the fact that they were in no way able to retaliate. Nudging Will with his foot, he continued; "Guess you weren't so tough." Drawing back his foot to kick, one of the others stopped him.

* * *

"Now, now; you know they won't pay if we damage them, Marcus." The man, Gilan assumed he was the leader, reprimanded; "Besides, it'll just give them more reason to escape." Standing up, he walked over to where they lay. "Now then, have ya seen a boy hereabouts? Little taller than average, 'bout fifteen, with dark hair an' green-grey eyes?" Neither Will or Gilan showed any hint of recognition as the man finished describing Leon. _Why in blazes are they after him?_ Gilan wondered, but didn't have time to continue that line of thought. Signaling to his comrades, the leader stepped back as the Rangers were roughly pulled to their feet.

"We know you came across him, why else would you 'ave four beds and only three little ponies?" At this, his men chuckled derisively. He turned as if to go, then swung back around, his fist connecting with Gilan's jaw; with a grunt, he started to go down, but was pulled back up. "No more games; where is he?" Gilan spat the blood out of his mouth and answered;

"Don't know, he disappeared while you were busy with us. We ran into him just yesterday, sometime around late afternoon, early evening." _Might as well tell the truth_ he thought, _no point in lying._

"Oh really? That's nice." He backhanding Gilan across the face. "Now how about the truth!"

* * *

Concealed in the shadows, Kayle tensed; _Not yet, the times not right._ He argued with himself, _acting rashly will only make things worse. _Willing himself to remain motionless, he waited, albeit impatiently. _Come on!..._

_

* * *

_"He's already told you the truth!" Will growled, straining toward the vagabond. Turning to Will, he jerked his fist into Will's solar plexus.

"If that's the truth, then I'm King Duncan. Only a fool would let that kid get away; and Rangers aren't fools, at least, not usually." He hissed, "Last chance, and if you don't spill,, we're going to have a _long_ morning." When neither of the Rangers made any move to answer, he jerked his head toward the fire. "Well then, men, lets get started." _Idiot,_ Will thought; _either he doesn't know how Rangers work, or he has reason to believe that he won't suffer for this..._

_

* * *

_He quietly slipped among the horses, murmuring softly to them to calm any unease. Picking out the best of the bandits' horses, he carefully cut at the ropes, so that if they pulled hard they would break. Checking to make sure that none of them had noticed his movement, he then saddled them and the Ranger horses. When he finished, he silently moved through the trees; all was ready.

* * *

Kayle caught a movement out of the corner of his eye; _Leon? _He watched as Leon tampered with the ropes and saddled the horses. _What if he doing? _ Seeming to sense Kayle's eyes on him, he paused and looked directly at him, then scanned the trees to either side. _He can't see me. _Kayle shifted a bit; when Leon looked back his direction, he motioned with his hands, as if asking 'what are you doing?'. Leon slowly looked around, then, motioning with his hands, he was able to communicate the gist of his plan to Kayle.

* * *

"Let's see how tough you Rangers really are." The head brigand, or, as Will decided to call him, Idiot, growled maliciously.

"Hey! No! Don't-" Someone shouted, then they heard a loud yell, followed by the thunder of hooves. Will threw himself to one side as his captors grip loosened, lunging to his feet, he headed for the trees; good thing they had cut his legs free so he could walk, rather than them carrying him. Now their laziness was going to cost them.

"WILL!" Whirling around, he saw Tug loose and running toward him, already saddled. Grabbing a handful of mane, he managed to haul himself up. Holding on tight and steering with his legs, he turned Tug towards the other horses, herding them to the trail. Looking around, he saw Gilan on Blaze, Kayle on Swift, and- _Leon?! _ Turning his attention back to the task at hand, Will looked over his shoulder to check for pursuit. _No horses, of course. _He observed; then he noticed what they were doing. _Brigands with bows: what is the world coming to? Most brigands can't hit the broad side of a barn, so what are they doing with bows?_ Then he recalled the fact that they had somehow managed to capture him and Gilan. With that thought in mind, Will urged Tug to greater speeds.

* * *

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	4. Lost And Found

*Disclaimer: Do I look like John Flanagan to you?

Sorry it took so long to post! Hope you like :)

**Chapter 3**

"Do you know why they were looking for you?" Gilan asked Leon; they had ridden hard all night, and would have kept going if Leon hadn't been so obviously exhausted, so they had stopped for a few hours to rest and eat. Now they were on their way, again.

"No." Leon replied shortly; "You probably have a better idea than I do." He paused, "The only thing that I can think of, is that they somehow figured out that I survived and came back." _But they talked like he was an important piece to something._ Will thought, _But what? And is he really as clueless as he seems?.._

They all breathed a sigh of relief when Castle Araluen came into view; it had been a long five days.

* * *

"Will! Gilan! Kayle!" A tall knight called, striding toward them.

"Horace!" Will embraced the taller man. _Obviously old friends, _Leon thought.

"What took you so long? I was beginning to think you'd been ambushed." Horace said jokingly. Gilan and Will exchanged glances; "What happened?" He queried, no longer smiling.

"We happened upon a ravaged town and an unusually adept band of vagabonds." Gilan explained shortly; "And this is Leon; lone survivor of Wilder. He doesn't make a bad traveling companion, either." He nudged Leon forward; taking the hint, he stepped up to Horace and held out his hand. _Quick thinking and not terribly shy. _Horace thought, grasping the youth's hand.

"As you might have guessed, I'm Horace."

"Pleased to make your acquaintance, sir." Leon replied, acknowledging his rank with a polite nod. _But a bit stiff..._ He grinned;

"Just Horace is fine. Save all the protocol for when it's necessary." Leon nodded and stepped back, unsure of what to do next. "Don't worry, I'm not going to bite." He jested, trying to loosen Leon up. It didn't work.

"Have you ever been to a festival, Leon?" Will asked; he shook his head. "Well then, we'll make sure you get around after we report to Crowley."

* * *

Hey, Halt; have you seen Crowley?" Gilan queried, "We can't seem to find him."

"I haven't seen him since this morning." Halt replied. "How'd your latest assignment go?" Will sighed, rubbing his jaw;

"Not so good; we ran into a ruined town, a homeless boy, and a skilled band of brigands. And apparently, all three are tied together somehow." Halt looked grim, as usual.

"What did you do with the boy?" Will looked surprised,

"We brought him with us."

"And where would he be now?"

"What do you mean, he's right-" He broke off and looked around; "How in the- Gilan, Kayle; did either of you see where he went?!" _Just great; we brought him all this way just to lose him! _Cursing silently, he tried to remember the last place he had seen him.

"Will, I think I know where he might be." Kayle said, "A ways back, when we stopped to talk with Sir Rodney, Leon kept looking over where the horse races were being held; we just passed near there a few minutes ago; I think he went to go watch." Gilan grinned;

"That's my apprentice; always keeps a close watch, this one." Kayle shifted uncomfortably.

"Well then, lets go find him."

* * *

"Hey Will, Halt; long time, no see. Come to see the horses?" Horace asked.

"Not exactly; Leon disappeared and we have reason to believe that he came this way. Have you seen him?" Will explained.

"Can't say that I have. Want help looking for him?" Just as Horace finished talking, they heard a wail:

"Danny? DANNY?! WHERE ARE YOU!!!"

* * *

"We'll never find him in this crowd; we don't even know if he's still here." Kayle mumbled dejectedly.

"We'll find him eventually, he couldn't have gotten far." Gilan commented, slapping his apprentice on the back. "Looks like another race is starting over there. Let's see if our wayward companion is there as well." Turning toward the track, they were suddenly confronted by a frantic woman.

"HAVE YOU SEEN MY CHILD!" She shrieked, grabbing the shocked beyond all reason Kayle by the shoulders and shaking him. "YOU'RE SORCERERS! USE YOUR POWERS TO FIND HER!!!" Gilan swiftly pried the hysterical woman from Kayle and kept her an arms length away.

"_Calm. Down._" She took a few quick breaths and seemed to calm down slightly. "We don't have 'powers', but we can still help you find her. Now, where did you last see her?"

"WellIhadjustfinishedhagglingwiththatpatheticexcuseforamerchantoveraboltoflinen..." As the woman continued to spew forth unintelligible sounds, Kayle's attention wandered to his surroundings; several people had stopped to glance at the frantic woman, but most were waiting for the the next race to start, and as he looked on, the rope dropped and the race began. A movement caught his eye; a young girl was sitting in the middle of the track, playing in the dirt, totally oblivious to the horses bearing down on her. When they were less than thirty feet away, she looked up, alarmed; she stared in shock for a few moments, then screamed.

"THAT'S MY DANNY!!!" The woman wailed, nearing hysterics. She grabbed Gilan; "SAVE HER!!!!" _There's no one close enough to do anything._ Gilan thought grimly, grinding his teeth; the entire crowd stood motionless, powerless to do anything.

_There __has_ _to be someone that can do something! _Kayle thought, frantically looking for someone that was close enough; a familiar figure caught his eye. _Maybe-_

"LEON!" He shouted at the top of his lungs.

* * *

Leon had made it to his chosen spot, undetected; _Stupid to rope off such a big area, if you're __that__ far back, you can't see anything!_ He thought, _Looks like I made it just in time._

"LEON!" Looking up, he saw Kayle, horror written all over his face. Silent, Kayle turned to look at something, then back at him. Sensing Kayle's sense of urgency, he followed Kayle's line of sight. He saw the girl, frozen with fear, with the horses closing in, going to fast to stop. He closed his eyes as the sharp agony of an old memory knifed through him; one he had buried long ago. As it overwhelmed him, he subconsciously reacted.

* * *

"What happened?!" Will asked when he reached the mass of people gathered around who knows what at the race track.

"Some fool boy tried to save a child who was playing in the middle of the track." _Oh, crud..._

"Well, did he?" Will demanded.

"I saw him disappear under the horses' hooves, so I wouldn't be betting on his survival, or the kid's." Swearing under his breath, he began to shove his way through the crowd; once people noticed his grey-green cloak, they began to move out of the way. Horace and Halt caught up to him just as he reached the edge of the track. The sight that greeted him almost made him laugh out loud: a very rigid Leon was being smothered by a sobbing woman, and all but strangled by the small girl.

"Oh, thank you, boy; you saved my Danelle!" The buxom woman managed to say through her tears. _If she's really grateful, she'll quit suffocating him._ Will mused. Leon began trying to pry the girls arms from around his neck, to no avail until the mother noticed what he was trying to do. "Danny! Come to Mama now, dear." Looking up, 'Danny' somehow managed to recognize her mother through the tears in her eyes and hair in her face.

"MAMA!!!" Wailing, she fairly lept into her mothers arms.

* * *

With the crowd dispersing and the woman gone, Halt got his first clear view of the boy; taking in the longish, almost brown, dark auburn hair, the tall, lanky build... but it was his eyes that got Halt's attention. Clear grey/green, with the slightest touch of blue, the color of the sea after a storm: Halt had seen eyes like that once before, but he shoved the memory away and forced himself to study the boy. _Nervous, but with good reason, him sneaking off like that..._ Halt reasoned. Watching those around him warily, the boy got to his feet and began dusting himself off, waiting for inevitable questions; he didn't have long to wait.

"Why did you go off on your own, Leon?" Will asked softly; he stopped and looked at Will.

"We were near the races, you stopped to greet a friend, I tried to get a better look at the horses; when I turned around, you were gone. Instead of getting lost trying to find you, I decided to stay around here where you could find me if you came looking." He went back to brushing himself off.

"Why didn't you stay in one spot?"

"I didn't think you would look there; you would think that I had just walked off, so you would look where you thought I had gone, not where I'd been." He replied simply, not even bothering to look up.

"What I want to know, is why you threw yourself in front of the horses." Horace put in; Leon looked at him blankly.

"You don't know a whole lot about horses, do you?" Without waiting for an answer, he continued: "Most horses will avoid stepping on or trampling something that's alive, at least directly; their hooves might clip you, they might not be able to avoid stepping on you completely, but they will avoid you if at all possible, even to the extent of jumping over you."

"'Most horses'; how did you know that those particular horses wouldn't-"

"So, you're telling me you Araluens ride man-killers? And to answer your next question, while they wouldn't have killed that girl, she could have gotten hurt pretty badly; she was covered in dust, and so would have been harder for the horses to see: I shielded her. And also, by jumping in front of them, it would be impossible for the horses _not_ to notice me, and thus, they avoided her by avoiding me." Horace opened his mouth to answer, but Leon cut him off again; "'Most horses' are sane: the ones in the minority are the ones that are not, and could care less about trampling people. However, the more horses, the more likely you are to get trampled; not all the horses will be able to avoid stepping on you. And if there's, say, a thousand stampeding toward you..." He shrugged, letting them draw their own conclusions.

"Will, Gilan; I heard you were back." Crowley said, walking up to them. "I'm ready for that report."

* * *

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	5. A Proposition

*Disclaimer: Yes, I live in Australia, my name is John Flanagan, and I own Ranger's Apprentice! HAHAHAHA!!! NOT HARDLY!!! I do not own RA!

**Chapter 4**

Leon waited impatiently for Will, Gilan, and Kayle; he had been left with Halt while they went to speak with Crowley.

"What's wrong with you, boy; have fire in your breeches?" Halt asked; Leon hadn't been still for more than half a minute since he'd been left with Halt. To anyone less observant, he looked nervous; _He almost seems... Afraid? But of what?.._ Halt knew he could be intimidating, but he'd seen a flicker of the same emotion when Leon's eyes had met his at the track...

* * *

"Are you sure about this? You don't know what sort of background he has, or even where he's from."

"I'll take a chance; if things don't work out, then I'll find him a place elsewhere." Will promised, "He had nowhere else to go, and he has potential; I'd like to give him a shot."

"Well, it's your choice Will; and if you find out anything more that might be important, let me know."

* * *

Gilan and Will couldn't help but grin when they saw Halt and Leon; Leon was fidgeting worse than a war horse on a short rein, watching Halt out of the corner of his eye, while Halt looked just as stoic as ever. When Leon looked up and saw them, he fairly launched himself off of the bench.

"A little anxious there, Leon? What's the rush?" Gilan asked, barely suppressing a laugh; Leon shrugged.

"Before we show you around, Leon, I have a few questions for you." Will said; Leon looked at him warily,

"What kind of questions? I've already told you everything I know about Wilder and the brigands; what more do want?!" Leon exclaimed, exasperated.

"Actually, I was going to ask you what you were going to do after today." Will replied, "You obviously can't go back to Wilder." Leon hesitated, biting his lip.

"Well, I guess I'd find somewhere to work and a place to stay; at least until I figure out what to do next." He looked satisfied with his answer, _He just came up with that; but it's not a bad plan of action. _Gilan thought.

"Would you stay in Araluen?" Will queried; Leon shrugged,

"I don't know; I've never been to Araluen before, so I don't know how everything works. It's quite different from Celtica; I also have no clue how easy it would be to find work..." His voice trailed off as he considered his choices.

"How would you like to be a Rangers apprentice?" Leon looked at Will apprehensively;

"What would I be doing, where would I be staying, and how long is the apprenticeship?" He asked shortly,

"Training to be a Ranger, at my cabin, usually five to six years. Rangers are Araluens intelligence force, the eyes and ears of the kingdom; we keep tabs on anything and everything that goes on." Will answered; _Looks like he knows his job, _Leon thought briefly.

"What all would my training entail?" He queried, _Might as well consider it; if it's interesting enough, I might give it a try._

"Moving unseen, use of the bow, throwing knives, as well as the saxe. And, of course, the best weapon every man has; his mind." Leon looked at him curiously,

"Most people don't consider that a weapon, which puts them at a disadvantage to those that do." He paused for a moment, "But no training with a sword; why?"

"That would severely cramp your time, as well as your muscles, if you tried to take on so much. And it's simpler to pick off your enemies before they get close."

"But what if there's too many, you run out of arrows, and you are surrounded with no choice but to fight your way out? That's when a sword would be most useful." Leon reasoned;

"If you use your head, you can avoid those situations." Gilan pointed out. Leon shook his head,

"But there is always 'what if', and you should be prepared in the which case such a situation is unavoidable." His voice held a note of finality this time; back straight, shoulders square, head up, eyes level, with a look that showed authority._ Halt must have looked something like that when he was younger; stubbornly arguing his point of view, no matter how plausible the opposing opinion is._ Gilan mused. _Not that his argument isn't plausible; in fact, he seems to have thought it through. But being stubborn can get in the way of learning._

"Whether or not certain situations are unavoidable, if you become his apprentice you will not be training with a sword." Halt interjected crossly. "The question is: 'do you want to be his apprentice', not 'why don't Rangers train with swords'." Leon turned his gaze to Halt;

"_He_ has a sword," Leon nodded in Gilan's direction; "so unless he wears it for decoration, he's been taught to use it; isn't that a bit contradictory?" His voice had an undertone of scorn.

"Gilan began training with a sword before he became a Ranger's apprentice; he showed enough skill that they let him continue." Halt shot back, standing and turning to face him in one smooth movement. Leon was slightly taller then Halt, but Halt still managed to look him in the eye; unflinching, Leon stood tall, his cool gaze looked unfalteringly into Halt's.

"So, if _I_ have enough talent, I'd be allowed to continue my training?" Raising an eyebrow, he looked questioningly at Will.

"Maybe; Gilan, do you know where we could find a sword for him to use?" Gilan opened his mouth to answer;

"You can't put _him_ against me; no matter _how_ good I am, I would look less so when compared to him." Leon interjected.

"Well then, who would you suggest?"

"Someone my own age, and more than one; then you can judge my skill better." Gilan nodded,

"Sounds good to me." Turning to Will he asked; "Didn't Horace mention something about some sort of swordsmanship competition?"

"Yeah, he did, come to think of it."

* * *

Yeah, this one was kinda short, live with it :P _**REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! IF YOU WANT MORE CHAPTERS (LONGER, AND MORE OFTEN) REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! *bangs computer desk and snarls* OR ELSE ALL THE CHARACTERS WILL BE RUTHLESSLY MURDERED IN A LONG, DRAWN OUT MANNER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!  
**_


	6. Wounded Pride

*Disclaimer: You know the drill :P

Note: For those of you who might be wondering (like jxr1 :) Leon reminded Halt of a late friend; bringing up memories that he'd rather forget. Eventually, I will reveal who, and why *grins evilly* but it'll be a while, so keep reading! All will be explained eventually.....

**Chapter 5**

"This is for apprentices to try their skill, Gilan; not for experts to beat the snot out of them." Baron Arald commented; once again, his joke goes right over their heads. _They always take me too seriously._ He thought, heaving a sigh. "I'm assuming you came to watch."

"We came to watch Leon, here." Will commented, nodding toward the competition area. "Why don't you go on and get signed up?" Nodding, Leon set off at a jog to where the competitors were getting ready.

"Will here is thinking about taking Leon on as his apprentice; Leon apparently considers himself good enough to warrant continued training in swordsmanship." Halt explained to Arald.

"Well then, we'll just have to watch."

* * *

"Hey, Will; have a nice chat with Crowley?" Horace queried; Will wasn't hard to spot in a crowd, His cloak made him stick out, as well as the ring of empty space around him.

"Yeah; are there any boys from Redmont competing today?" Will asked in return; Horace grinned,

"Of course; one of them I expect to do quite well. He's shown an unusual amount of skill for his age, and has done extremely well under my care." Will grinned as well,

"How could he do anything less with you for a mentor?" Will said, clapping Horace on the back. "I wonder if he'll be put against Leon."

"Leon? He doesn't quite seem the type; a little too much on the slender side." Horace looked intrigued, "And the main occupation in Celtica is mining."

"He talked like he thought he could handle a sword; but that remains to be seen." Will stated, watching the competition in anticipation of Leon's appearance.

"Hey! Here's Seph now!" Horace exclaimed, nudging Will and pointing to a tall, tow-headed youth that had just entered the arena. He reminded Will of Horace; striding with grace that belied his well built frame, confidant in his skill, holding himself with a poise that spoke well of his training. He bested his opponent without too much trouble; as well as the others that followed.

"Well, he won his first round; hopefully he'll do as well in the ones that follow." Horace commented; as the next round started, one of the first competitors caught Will's attention.

"There's Leon; let's see how he does." Moving closer, Will studied Leon's opponent. _Just his luck; he's been pitted against someone both older, and larger, so he'll have both experience and reach on Leon._ Will thought, _Hopefully he'll still take the apprenticeship, even if he won't be able to use a sword._ Confidant, the older boy closed in on Leon.

_Leon's not even paying attention!_ Horace thought, _Doesn't this competition matter to him?_

_

* * *

  
_

_Relax, stay balanced lightly on the balls of your feet, don't watch his eyes; watch his balance, find a way to get the advantage without risking anything... _Leon listened to the footfalls of his opponent as he stalked nearer; _Right handed, and he's not balanced._ When Leon decided he was close enough, his eyes snapped open just in time to parry. _You're not strong enough to block; deflect, hold your sword so that you can take the power out of the blow. Then strike._

_

* * *

  
_

"Well, Gilan, Horace, what do you make of him?" Will queried; the round had just ended, and Leon had somehow managed to stay just ahead of his opponents.

"He has potential; he stays balanced and well out of reach, striking only when it will give him the upper hand." Horace answered; Gilan nodded,

"I'd like to know who taught him, as well as how he managed to find anyone in the backwoods of Celtica that could handle a sword better than a pick." He added. "The question that needs to be answered now is: who's going to further his training?"

* * *

"Is this the last round?" Kayle asked, obviously tired of watching people try to whack each other with dulled blades.

"Yes; both Leon and Seph are still in." Will answered, "Don't worry, Kayle; it should be over before too long."

"Leon has the darnedest luck. There were so many times where he almost got beaten, but each time he managed to come out on top." Kayle muttered, "Why couldn't he just lose one; then we wouldn't still be waiting on him."

"Leon's up against Seph." Horace mentioned, "This will be interesting." Kayle tossed the stick he had been whittling aside and stood up.

"It had better be worth watching."

* * *

Seph had taken note of the boys fighting style earlier; at least, he would have if he knew what it was, he'd never seen anything quite like it. _He avoids situations that would take complicated swordplay, yet it seems like he would be able to handle it; or is that his weakness?_ Seph had felt Leon watching him as well; he'd also noticed that the Rangers were watching Leon.

* * *

Will watched with interest as the two boys moved toward each other. _This could be a long fight._ Suddenly, Seph rushed, trying to get close; Leon evaded him, though just barely. This continued for a few minutes: Seph rushing, Leon evading, until Seph cornered him. Will saw panic in Leon's eyes as Seph began a series of sword strokes; Leon parried, but was unable to get the upper hand, Seph just kept pushing. Horace and Gilan saw the last stroke before it came; unable to deflect it in his current position, he had to block it straight on. The force on the blow knocked him down; instinctively, he lashed out. Everyone in the crowd winced as Seph collapsed. Leon knew he would be disqualified; it was inevitable. From the ground he watched in silence as two of the judges helped Seph to his feet, a third walked over to Leon.

"Disqualified." The man looked at Leon with disgust, _Of course, striking out like that is low and cowardly, and no one who had any honor would do that. _Leon thought scornfully, _Araluens! Dumb enough to die honorably rather than win questionably; even if it's life or death!_

Leon walked over to where the Rangers were standing; they looked just as disgusted with his behavior as everyone else around. _And yet, a Ranger would shoot an enemy in the back if that was the easiest way; how stupidly contradictory._ Leon thought angrily. Just as he reached them, they turned and walked past Leon, back toward the competition. Showing no expression, he followed.

* * *

"How's Seph?" Gilan asked Horace, pushing through the tent flap.

"He'll be alright in a few minutes-" He broke off when he saw Leon, "I hope he's here to apologize." _Of course, the mentor is as wounded as his student; such trickery is below them._ Leon thought, _Though either one of them might have done the same in a desperate situation. _

"Of course." Will replied. "Leon?" Stepping to the front of the group, he looked insolently at Horace, then turned to Seph.

"I apologize for my untoward actions." He said stiffly, "May your recovery be swift, and hopefully there will be no lasting... damage." Seph turned red at the last comment, then immediately retorted;

"If you were Araluen, you'd behave better, Celtican swine!"

"Actually, I have no idea where my parents came from; for all I know, I could be Araluen. But of course, I wasn't raised here, which makes me inferior to you; and due to my poor upbringing and the circumstances of my training, fighting dirty is a habit." Drawing breath, he continued; "Which is inexcusable, no matter how many times it saved me from being brutally beaten. My apologies, _sir_, for reacting instinctively and injuring your pride." He finished, his tone formal and cold; bowing slightly, he turned and left.

* * *

"Watch it, boy!" Halt exclaimed, "Don't you ever look where you're going?"

"Not when he's running away." Gilan answered, "And where did you think you were going?" He asked Leon.

"To get my horses and leave." Leon replied shortly.

"_Your_ horses?"

"Uh, yeah; they _used_ to belong to those vagabonds that captured you and Will. If I'm remembering correctly, _I_ was the one that brought them with us, hence, they are mine."

"So you're not going to be Will's apprentice?" Halt asked. Leon hesitated,

"Well, seeing as they get so riled up over something so simple as-"

"Breaking the rules isn't so simple." Gilan cut in; Halt's eyebrows shot up.

"What happened?"

"He struck out at Seph after he had knocked him down; nailed him right in the crotch." Halt looked at Leon questioningly:

"What!! I reacted without thinking, okay! I've only ever fought against stuck up arses who only wanted to beat me senseless, so of course I'm used to fighting dirty! It's a _reflex_!" Leon snarled through clenched teeth, "So quit looking at me as if I've done something evil, wicked, and bad; you Araluens don't have to fight for every shred of food!"

"Still, you shouldn't leave." Will said, having walked up just in time to hear his outburst, "Let's go back to the others-"

"What; so you can rehash all my 'low and dirty' tactics?!" He snapped.

"No, so we can discuss options." Will sighed, "And, I think if you had explained better earlier, there would have been less feelings of hostility."

* * *

Will slowed until Gilan and Leon were far enough ahead,

"What do you think?"

"Am I supposed to read your mind so I know what you're talking about?" Halt replied; sighing, Will explained;

"About Leon; he has all the skills, but has a temper and a seeming dislike for laws, rules, and the like, and hard headed to boot."

"So, you're wanting to know what I think you should do?" Will nodded. "Well; I think you should make up your own mind."

* * *

"So; where are we staying the night?" Kayle queried; they'd finished feeding their horses just as the sky turned scarlet and the light began to fade.

"The Lonesome Traveler; they have the best food and drinks, the rooms aren't too bad either." Will replied.

"Is Alyss here? Or did she stay at Seacliff?" Gilan asked, grinning slightly;

"She didn't plan on coming; if she did, she wouldn't stay long." Will answered; _I can't wait to see her when I get back; it's been way too long._

_

* * *

  
_

"Here we are." Gilan said, dropping his pack on the floor; "Home, sweet home."

"There's only two beds." Leon stated flatly, "I'll let you three fight over them; I get the floor." Dropping his pack, he pulled out his bedroll and spread it out against the wall close to the door.

"Well, Kayle; pick your floor space and set up, then we'll all go down to enjoy a hot meal."

* * *

Will awoke with a start; waiting in silence, he tried to detect what it was that had caused him to wake. After a few minutes, he decided it was nothing; rolling over he relaxed, letting his eyelids drift shut. He slept fitfully, the same recurring dream bothered him; he was missing something; something was wrong, but he couldn't remember what. Finally, he sat up and rubbed the sleep from his eyes; and from nowhere, something registered. Leon's blankets were empty.

* * *

Hahahaha! A bit of a cliffie, I know :P **REVIEW!**

Also, I almost didn't have Leon kick Seph (ouch!) but I had a scene I wanted to fit in, but I couldn't figure out how. Then it came to me! So now I'll be able to fit it in! Yay :D


	7. Early Morning Excursion

*Disclaimer: I do not one RA (wish I did! That would be AWESOME!)

Okay peoplez, another chapter! Yay! Sorry I didn't get it up last week; last week was crazy!

Anywayz, I couldn't remember if Cassandra was King Duncan's only daughter/child, or if his wife died, etc., but if she died, he's remarried, if she didn't, and Cassie's just the only daughter/child they've had, well, they had another kid! Her name is Amaleah! You get to meet her in this chapter, as well as find out some things about Leon's past!

**Chapter 6**

"You three are up early." The innkeeper commented, he was used to Rangers; his inn was comfortable, with good food, and better coffee, not to pricey, and never as busy as the bigger, more popular inns. It was well known to travelers of all stripe, making it a veritable fountain of information for those who had good ears.

"Have you seen a boy, about fifteen, tall, dark hair, and green-grey eyes? Goes by the name of Leon." The innkeeper shook his head,

"Not since last night when he was with you, Ranger. He missing?" Giving a quick nod in reply, Will, Gilan, and Kayle left the inn.

* * *

"Is something wrong?" Halt asked mildly, pausing briefly before continuing to groom Abelard.

"Leon's disappeared. We came here first to see if he had left, but the horses are all here." Will replied. "If there had been a struggle of any sort, it would have woken us, but he might have just wandered off."

"And why would anyone try to take him?" Halt queried, raising an eyebrow.

"I mentioned yesterday that he was tied in with the razed town and the brigands we ran into. With him disappearing, I didn't get a chance to elaborate further; but after finding him, we encountered some above average bandits: they were looking for him. They said, 'only a fool would let that kid get away'. As to what they meant, we have yet to find out; Leon hadn't a clue."

"So you think he may have been spirited away?"

"That seemed most likely, what with him not taking the horses with him-"

"From what I have gathered, this is his first time being around a castle, right?" When Will nodded, Halt continued. "How do you know he didn't go exploring? Or maybe he couldn't sleep and went for a walk. This far into Araluen, it's probably far more likely for him to have wandered off and gotten mobbed by little children or waylaid by somebody's grandmother, than to have been taken hostage."

"You're right. I guess those bandits made a bigger impression on me than I thought." Will said with a sigh.

"Same here; but we shouldn't rule that option out totally. If we can't find him, then something to that affect may have very well happened." Gilan put in.

"Are we splitting up?" Kayle asked impatiently. "We're not going to find him by standing here." Gilan chuckled;

"Impatient now, are we?" Looking at the ground, Kayle mumbled under his breath,

"Just when it looks like I'll have a full night's rest, _someone_ has to disappear..." He continued to mumble as Gilan went on to lay out a plan.

"Kayle and I will search the various back streets and alleyways, starting at the outskirts and working our way in. Will, you could start in the middle and work your way out, checking out everything that might pique a boy's interest; just don't let any shiny objects distract you." He finished, grinning.

"Well then, now that you have a plan, get moving."

* * *

_We've been searching for hours with no sign of him, and we still haven't eaten breakfast; haven't had time for even a single cup of coffee! If Leon is going to be __**Will's**__ apprentice, why can't __**Will **__look for him on his own? Why do we have to help?_ Kayle didn't voice these thoughts aloud; he knew what the answer would be, so, grudgingly, he walked down yet _another_ alley, carefully searching the shadows. _I hope this doesn't become an everyday occurrence..._

_

* * *

  
_

Will was heading toward the middle of the city; Castle Araluen itself, keeping an eye out for Leon as he went. Upon reaching the castle, he began searching the stables, alleys, and inns in the immediate vicinity; _No luck; no one's seen him._ Will thought, _I should check with the castle guards..._ Striding briskly towards the nearest guard, he eyed the castle walls and surrounding area speculatively, automatically picking out the best routes for gaining access to the castle; _The sort of routes a curious boy might take to bypass the guards._.

"Looking for something, Ranger?" The guard asked, having spotted him earlier; he was obviously looking for something, or maybe someone.

"Actually, it's someone, not something, I'm looking for. Have you seen a boy; dark haired, slightly taller than average, somewhat lanky?" After a moment of consideration, the guard slowly shook his head;

"Sorry Ranger; haven't seen hardly anyone so far this morning, I just relieved the guard that was on night shift." He looked thoughtful for a minute, "One thing you might be interested in; Charles said he thought he'd heard something earlier, but no one was there, then, when he turned to leave, he caught a flicker of movement in the corner of his eye, but as soon as he looked for it, it was gone." Will nodded, thoughtful.

"And where did he see the movement?"

"That's the funny thing, he said he could of swore it came from a spot about twenty feet up the wall, but nothing was there." _Not that he could see._ Will thought briefly, _I knew the boy had talent._

"Hmm, must have been a bird. Anyway, if you haven't seen him, he must already be inside; he's always early." Will said nonchalantly, as if he headed to a meeting of some sort. "Well then, I mustn't be late."

* * *

He glided down the halls, silent as a cat, peering into any room that seemed like it might be interesting: so far he'd explored the kitchen; including the pantry, buttery, and bottlery, as well as the great hall, throne room, minstrels gallery, armory, library, and a lot of rooms the names of which were unknown to him. He'd taken note of the different meeting rooms, for the Couriers, the scribes, though he hadn't seen one for the Rangers; but he hadn't bothered exploring them. He wanted to see how many floors a castle had, and how long it took to get to the top; if he had time, he'd explore more on his way down. That is, _if he had time_; he estimated that he had an hour left till sunrise, and it was taking forever. _This place sure is big; it must have taken forever to build it._ He mused, pushing open another door. _Whoa..._

_

* * *

  
_

Once Will got in, he immediately began looking for any sign of Leon; _He's probably on one of the upper floors by now, but it won't hurt to check._..

* * *

Pushing the door the rest of the way open, he gazed in astonishment at the variety of things in the room: instruments of every sort hung on the walls, several desks were on one side, a bookcase lined one wall, the opposite wall had a small assortment of training weapons. There was also a raised platform to one side with several stools and music stands on it. One of the instruments in particular caught his attention, _I haven't seen one of those in... __**way**__ too long. But were did they find one? And do they actually know how to play it?_ After making sure no one was in the hall, he carefully stepped the rest of the way in and softly closed the door. He crossed the room swiftly, and had just reached out to stroke its smooth, varnished surface when someone spoke up from behind him;

"Do you know how to play it?" He froze, then turned to see a girl about his age, with long, red/gold hair looking curiously at him; _Why didn't I hear her? Or see her?_ Mentally, he cursed himself for not paying better attention.

"_I said_: do you know how to play?" She talked like she was used to people answering her without delay; very assertive and bold. _Might as well humor her._

"Yes." He replied, keeping his answer as brief as possible.

"Well then; would you mind playing it?" She said it like a question, but it was obviously an order; "It's been awhile since I've heard someone play; most people have never even heard of a twelve string guitarra, much less actually know how to play." Carefully, he lifted the instrument off of it's pegs,

"So, you call it a 'guitarra' in this country." He commented, his mind racing: _How can I get away?_

"I wasn't aware that there was another name to call it. Are you not from Araluen?" She was curious, _Too curious..._ He put the strap across his back, tightening it till it fit just right,

"No, I actually don't know which country I'm originally from; but I came here from Celtica." He strummed experimentally, and winced at the sound it produced. "How long has it been since this has been tuned properly?" He queried, hoping to distract her.

"So, what do you call it?" When her curiosity was piqued, there wasn't much that could distract her from finding out what she wanted to know.

"A quetar." _What an interesting accent, where have I heard it before?_ She wondered; when he said 'quetar', he hardned the qu, so it almost sounded like a k, but not quite, and he put more emphasis on the second syllable, so that it sounded more like keh-**tar**. _But other than that one word, he speaks Araluen flawlessly, with no accent at all. How queer._ She thought.

* * *

He was several floors up when he ran into King Duncan;

"Will! What are you wandering the castle so early for?"

"Well, your majesty; I think my soon to be apprentice is wandering around here somewhere, but I've had no luck in finding him."

"Ah! So you've found a boy that suits your fancy then? We can look for him together: my youngest daughter is wandering around here too. According to her lady-in-waiting, she couldn't sleep; mayhap we'll find them both if we look together."

They had been looking for several minutes when they heard it; a soft, melodic river of sound.

"Sounds like it's coming from the next floor." Will said, heading for the nearest stair. It didn't take long for them to find the room, the music floated down the hall, clean, pure, and somewhat haunting, from a door that was slightly ajar. The music stopped when they had almost reached the door; there was an awed silence in the room, until a young voice broke it.

"You didn't say you were an expert! When did you learn to play?" Duncan caught Will's eye;

"That would be Amaleah." He said softly, he was about to continue when a voice answered Amaleah's question;

"A long time ago; I was about seven or eight." Will grinned,

"That's Leon; I wonder how long they've been talking?" He whispered,

"There's no telling; Leah often comes here when she's had a restless night." They turned their attention back to the persons in the room.

* * *

"That's a long time; do you play much?" Amaleah queried; _This boy is quite intriguing; I wonder who taught him to play?_

"I haven't played at all for the past several years." Leon replied shortly.

"Why not? You're very good." _What's with this girl and her blasted questions? Why, why why: is that the only way she knows to carry on a conversation?! _He thought before answering,

"My father forbade it; said it took too much time that might be spent doing 'more important' things, and that it was too much of a distraction."

"That wasn't very nice; what did he think was more important?"

"Perfection." He answered, gritting his teeth; _Is there no end to these confounded questions?_

"Would you mind explaining what you mean?"

"Perfection; meaning me practicing for hours on end because _he_ wanted me to be perfect, and him being _so_ disappointed when I fell short of what _he_ wanted me to be!" Leon spat,

"Oh," She said, subdued by his outburst; "He won't be happy that I made you play, will he?"

"Probably not."

"What about your mother?" He looked at her, his face showing about as much emotion as a block of wood, his gaze hollow;

"She's dead." His voice was flat and empty.

"Oh." She replied quietly; unsure of what she should say next, she asked another question. "Why did he come to Araluen?"

"So far as I know, he hasn't." He said, absentmindedly picking on the guitarra; "I haven't seen him in years."

"Why?"

"That's your favorite word, isn't it? I haven't seen him, nor do I wish to ever see him again; that's why I ran away."

"Does he know where you are?"

"No; what would be the point of running away if he knew where I was? Then he could find me any time he wanted."

"Oh." The silence stretched uncomfortably between them, the gentle sound of the guitarra in the background only made the silence seem more bleak.

"I know what it feels like, being pushed to be perfect." Amaleah said softly; Leon glanced at her, still keeping a steady rhythm. When she realized he was waiting for her to elaborate, she continued; "Whenever I need help with my lessons, or I'm not very good at something, all I hear is: 'Cassandra this', 'Cassandra that', and 'Why can't you be as good as Cassandra?'! Sometimes it seems like nobody wants me unless I'm like Cassandra." She looked dejectedly at her feet.

"Who's Cassandra?" No longer playing, he looked at her curiously.

"My older sister."

"And what has she done that's so great they want you to be an exact replica?" Leon snorted, "Did she swoop down from heaven on angelic wings and miraculously fix all the problems in the world? Like war, famine, disease, and poverty?" His tone was laced with scorn.

"Not quite: she helped young Will Treaty burn Morgarath's bridge, then she helped Will, Halt, and Horace defeat the Temujai in Skandia and signed the treaty that changed the Skandians from enemies, into allies. Since then she has been on _quite_ a few diplomatic trips that have helped Araluen tremendously." _Wait; Will, Halt, and Horace?_ _Haven't I met them? Interesting... _

"And how does that make her any better than you?" _It's awful when people keep reminding you that you're not good enough for them..._

"That's just it! Since I'm _not_ her, everyone's disappointed." Leon could barely hear her,

"But that's nonsense! If Cassandra has already done all that, then you can't do it over because she's already done it. And besides, if it's already been done, it won't impress them anyway. You'll just have to keep being you, and eventually, they'll find out that it's a good thing that you aren't your sister."

"Why?" She didn't even bother looking up.

"_Because_, you'll do something great, something different, something that only you can do." When he finished, his voice was almost a whisper; stepping forward, he lifted her chin gently, so she was looking him in the eye. "You have greatness in you, and don't you ever forget it." Hearing those words as she looked into his eyes, she felt a chill go down her spine; _It sounds like he's prophesying, but that's ridiculous..._ Feeling awkward, she stepped back;

"What songs can you play on that?" She asked, trying to get back to what they had been talking about before their conversation had gotten so serious. Climbing onto the platform, he pulled a stool over and sat down, putting his right foot on one of the rungs to better balance the guitarra. He strummed once, lightly, and looked at her;

"What would you like me to play?"

* * *

For a few moments, their voices had been so low Will hadn't been able to hear what they were saying; he itched to get closer, but knew that he might give himself away.

"I had no idea she felt that way." Duncan whispered softly, brooding.

"Don't go in yet, Duncan; this is the most I've heard him say about his past, I want to find out as much as possible."

* * *

"Have you ever heard the song 'Fallen'?" He looked at her sharply,

"Where did you hear that?"

"Oh, I heard it the first time I saw someone play a twelve string; he was very good, and I've never forgotten that song."

"Do you remember his name?"

"No, why?" He looked down,

"Oh, no reason; just curious." She looked at him, somewhat incredulous, "Oh, alright! It's just that I know the person who wrote that song; it was my quetar teacher's favorite, and it was one of the first ones I learned to play."

"Really?! Could you play it for me?"

"I'll play it, but I'm afraid I'm not very good at singing." He smiled grimly,

"No, just play it; we don't want to wake anyone up." He started into the first few chords of the bittersweet melody, when he was half-way through the first verse, he realized that she was humming a slightly different melody, one that was perfectly in harmony. _She really does know how this goes._ When he reached the bridge, he stopped;

"You're crying!"

"Oh, sorry; it's just..." Her voice trailed off as she wiped her eyes, "It gets to me every time."

"Yeah; it puts those feelings into words perfectly." He paused, "I should probably play something more cheerful; have anything in mind?"

"Not really." She shrugged,

"What about 'Fly Away'?" Without waiting for an answer, he started; getting through the complicated intro flawlessly. The melody was light and fast; she watched him, awed at the speed and skill with which he played. This time when he reached the bridge, she was smiling.

* * *

Just outside, Will and Duncan listened; Duncan turned to Will and said;

"Well, looks like you've got an artist on your hands."

* * *

When he finished, the last, high note still lingering in the air, he froze;

"Very good Leon; you didn't tell us you could play." Will said nonchalantly, leaning casually on the door jamb

"Amaleah." Duncan said softly, crossing the room to his daughter and pulling her into a tight embrace; "Why didn't you tell me?" She looked at him, confused.

"How long have you been listening?" Leon asked, his voice somewhat strangled.

"Long enough to know you'd make a very successful jongleur." Will commented, grinning; "To be more specific, we found where you were from your music; I think we got here in time to here the end of your first song."

"Fallen?"

"No, the one before that." Amaleah's eye's widened.

"You've been listening that long?!" Duncan quieted her gently.

"Yes; Leon, I think you have some explaining to do."

* * *

Okay peoplez; you know the drill! _**REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!**_ Also, I just read the 5th book last week!!! Eeeeeeee! It was _so_ good! But the ending! It was SUCH a cliffhanger! Grrrrr! I WANT TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENS NEXT!!!! Anywayz, If you notice anything that doesn't fit with the books and is totally wrong, let me know. Also, I want to know what all of you think of the story so far, so **_REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!_****_REVIEW!!!!_****_REVIEW!!!!_****_REVIEW!!!! _****_REVIEW!!!!_****_REVIEW!!!!_****_REVIEW!!!!_****_REVIEW!!!!_****_REVIEW!!!!_****_REVIEW!!!!_****_REVIEW!!!!_****_REVIEW!!!!_****_REVIEW!!!!_****_REVIEW!!!!_****_REVIEW!!!!_****_REVIEW!!!!_****_REVIEW!!!!_**


	8. A Few Explanations

*Disclaimer: Let's look at it this way; if I owned RA, I wouldn't be posting this :P

Not a very long chapter, and nothing monumental happens, but you do find out more about Leon :) And hear about another of my OCs :) And there should be some action soon, though...

**Chapter 7**

"I woke up and couldn't get back to sleep, so I decided to walk around. I wasn't headed anywhere in particular, I was just wandering around aimlessly; then I realized how close to the castle I was. I knew I probably wouldn't have the chance again, so I decided to see what it was like." Leon explained,

"And you somehow managed to get past all the guards without a single soul knowing." Duncan added, grinning;

"Well, I just watched them until I saw a pattern, then slipped through." He stopped, brow furrowed, "Who are you anyway?"

"Ah yes; introductions." Will mused. "Leon, allow me to introduce you to King Duncan, and his youngest daughter, Amaleah." All three looked on in amusement as an expression of extreme shock swept over Leon's face. "Duncan, Amaleah; this is Leon. I know he looks a bit like a fish out of water right now, but he's really quite sharp." When Leon realized his mouth was open, he shut it quickly,

"Your majesty, I didn't mean to intrude, and-" Duncan put a hand up to stop him.

"It's quite alright; I'm just glad you're going to be on _our_ intelligence force, and not someone else's." He looked at Leon speculatively, and decided he liked what he saw;

"You mean he's training to be a Ranger?" Amaleah asked, looking from Leon to Will; "Apprenticed to the great Will Treaty?! That's wonderful!" Leon looked at Will, surprised.

"You mean you still want me? Even after yesterday and this morning?" He studied Will with an indecipherable look on his face.

"Why not?"

* * *

Will, Gilan, and Halt talked casually as they saddled up: they'd done all that they needed to, and were more than ready to get back to their respective fiefs. Silent, Kayle and Leon silently saddled their mounts: Leon was riding the pack pony, the other horses having been sold, 'you won't be needing them' Will had told Leon. _Not that I had planned on keeping them _anyway. Ever since Will and Leon had tracked down Gilan and Kayle, Kayle had remained silent, hardly even recognizing the fact that Leon was there. _Great; the only person my age that I know won't even speak to me. The only other one I've met is Seph; heaven knows how long he'll keep sulking... Well, I suppose Amaleah is around my age._ Pondering on the events of the morning, he found it hard to believe that he was an apprentice; and apparently, his mentor was legendary. Not to mention that he was now a member of an elite force that worked directly with the king; one that no one had ever managed to best in skill, or intelligence.

* * *

_He wanders off, infiltrates the best guarded castle in Araluen; and gets away scott free!_ Kayle fumed as he saddled Swift. _Like nothing ever happened and everything is bloody perfect!_ Having ignored his attempts to start a casual conversation, he brooded in stony silence.

* * *

"Kayle, Leon; would you two mind picking up our fresh rations from the inn?" Gilan asked casually; it was obvious they had a few things that they needed to get sorted before they parted ways. _Otherwise the enmity will only build if it's not resolved._ Leon looked apprehensively at Kayle, then shrugged and headed in the direction of the inn. With an expression of boredom, Kayle followed.

* * *

They were almost to the inn when Leon broke the silence;

"Why are you mad at me?" Once again, Kayle ignored him, "I _said_, why are you mad at me? What did I do?!"

"You ran off twice, and yet no one has given you a sound chewing out! You get away with it so easy!" Kayle burst out; "And even though you're going to be _Will's_ apprentice, _I_ had to get up before the crack of dawn to wander around looking for you like I had nothing better to do but find you every time you get lost!" Leon was quiet for a few minutes as they resumed walking through the streets. It wasn't until after they were headed back with the provisions that he spoke up.

"I'm sorry about that; I didn't really think you guys would go looking for me. No one's every really cared about what happened to me before; I'm not used to it." He said quietly, "But I'd really rather not be enemies." They were both silent for a few minutes; _I hadn't considered that, I thought he just didn't care... _Kayle thought, regretting his previous behavior.

"Look, I'm sorry about the way I reacted. We both didn't think, so lets just call it even." He stopped walking and stuck out his hand; "Friends?"

"Friends." Leon agreed, shaking his hand. When they started walking again, Leon grinned mischievously; "Last one back to the stables is a street urchin!"

* * *

A few miles from Araluen, they parted, stopping a few moments to say goodbye.

"Well, the Gathering is coming up pretty soon, so I'll see you then. Will, good luck; Leon, stay out of trouble." A man of few words, Halt left for Redmont;

"That's right; Will, you've got a month and a half before the Gathering, so you better get to work with Leon. And no more wild escapades, you rouge." Gilan said, grinning; wagging his finger in mock seriousness at Leon,

"The same goes for you, Gilan." Will added, "As well as your apprentice."

"Don't worry, his girlfriend keeps him in line." Kayle said, grinning;

"Girlfriend?" Will looked at Gilan; "You finally found a girl that would put up with you?" Gilan took a playful swing at Will; Kayle laughed,

"In her own words, 'I'd put up with a Kalkara if it were as handsome as Gilan'." He said, pitching his voice high as to imitate a girl. "She's half Gallican; her name is Rylla Wylde." Gilan glared, his gaze promising an abundance of chores for Kayle. Laughing, Will clapped Gilan on the back.

"Till the Gathering then." Gilan said, gathering Blaze's reins.

"May you find more joys than sorrows." Leon added, "Till our paths cross again." With a nod, Gilan and Kayle left for Meric fief. They paused briefly to wave before they disappeared behind a clump of trees.

Once they were out of sight, Will took the left fork, _Which heads south east._ Leon noted. After walking a few minutes in silence, Leon's curiosity got the better of him.

"Where are we going?"

"South east." Will replied, barely suppressing a grin;

"I knew that already; then what _fief_ are we going to?" Leon asked, slightly annoyed;

"Seacliff." Then Will's curiosity got the better of him, "Back at the castle, you hinted at previous training; what all did that entail?" He had quite a few other questions, but most of them were personal, and he didn't think Leon would feel inclined to answer.

"Well..." He thought for a moment; "Swordsmanship, but you already know about that. A little archery, though not much, hand to hand fighting, as well as daggers and throwing knives. I can also use a whip."

"A whip?" Will queried, eyebrows raised;

"Yes. I can use it quite well, and since it's a weapon no one expects, it can be quite useful." He grinned, remembering; "It's quite handy for disarming people, and I've seen men who would take on an army of Wargals by themselves turn into pathetic little wusses once they've gotten a taste of the lash. They'll tell you anything." Will glanced at him, a bit concerned,

"'A taste of the lash'?"

"Yes, you barely have to touch them with it; did you think I meant you had to beat them with it?" Without waiting for an answer, he continued. "A whip can cut as well and any dagger, if you use it properly, but it stings more, and it's faster."

"How good are you with a bow?" Will asked, switching the topic; _He sounds like he knows how to use a whip, as well as when it's most effective. The way he talks about it so casually... it's a bit unsettling._

"I didn't get much formal training, but since I've been on my own, I've acquired a bit of a knack for it." He glanced at the longbow Will held across his lap, "But I doubt I'll be able to use a longbow. And I'm probably not as good as I think I am; there isn't much in the way of archers in Celtica, so I haven't had any sort of competition."

"You won't be using a longbow for a few years yet." Will commented; he tried to picture Leon with a longbow and failed. "How often do you hit your mark?"

"I think I've gotten to the point where I can hit what I shoot at." Leon replied dryly, "How do you think I survived on my own?"

"Poaching?" Will jested; _Though I doubt he would do more than add to his usual fare._

"Well, you might call it that; I call it hunting." In reply to Will's questioning look, he continued, "I hunted for myself, but also for others; that's the only reason they didn't kick me out of Wilder. Since everyone was either mining or farming, they never had time, not that they had any skill worth mentioning; it was also the only option I had if I didn't want to help in the mine or on the farm." He made a face; "They tried to force me into the mines; needless to say, it didn't work. So we compromised: I'd bring them good cuts of meat ever so often and help out at the inn, and they would leave me alone." He scowled, "But that didn't stop their kids from bugging me."

"So they were the 'stuck up arses' you referred to yesterday." Will guessed,

"Yeah; when name calling didn't work, they tried ganging up on me, but they weren't too bright." He snorted derisively, "It's like comparing a plow horse to your pony." Will laughed,

"Yeah, that's quite a difference."

"Unseen movement is one of the things I need to be good at, right?" He paused for a moment before continuing, "Well, I suppose I'm not too bad, but it didn't take much to avoid them; they couldn't see anything beyond the end of their noses."

* * *

I don't know if Gilan ever gets a girlfriend in the books later in RA (from everything I've heard, he hasn't yet), but I felt like he should have one :P After I came up with a name for her, I thought it was kinda funny; 'Rylla Wylde' kinda sounds like 'Really Wild'! Sounds like she can handle Gilan, lol!

I'm assuming that Will is still stationed at Seacliff; if he's not, correct me.

Anyways, REVIEW! If you have any suggestions, REVIEW! If you have any ideas as to what kind of girl Rylla should be, REVIEW! I NEED MOTIVATION! _**REVIEW!!!**_


	9. Arrival At Seacliff

*Disclaimer: You know I don't own RA, so why do I need to remind you?

I updated it! Yay me! *cricket* Unappreciative RA fans! :P More about Leon (of course) and before too long will be the Gathering! Hahaha!

And yes, since we all know that Will will marry Alyss eventually, they've been married for a couple years in this fanfic :P

**Chapter 8**

Ever since Will had told him that they were in Seacliff fief, Leon's eyes hadn't stayed still for more than a few moments; he wanted to know this place well enough that if he ever had to find his way alone, he wouldn't get lost. Having crossed on the ferry, Will had taken him through town, intending on testing his observation skills; he'd already noticed that the boy was taking careful note of his surroundings.

_I wonder how much he'll remember, it'll be interesting to see how he measures up._ Will pondered; this was his first apprentice and he wanted to do things right. He was having a hard time deciding what to work on first; _I should probably test his archery first... then maybe the saxe and throwing knife?_ He continued this line of thought until they were almost to the cabin; then he realized that, since it was evening, Alyss would be home. With that thought in mind, he nudged Tug into a lope, and then a gallop; then he remembered Leon. He looked back, slowing Tug down at the same time, only to see him shoot past on the pack horse, laughing at the look of surprise on the Ranger's face. Grinning, Will kicked Tug back into a gallop.

* * *

As they came to a plunging stop in front of the cabin, the door flew open; Will dismounted just in time to be forcibly embraced by Alyss. Will responded accordingly; Leon, unsure of what to do, stared fixedly at the surrounding countryside. After a few minutes he decided that they had had long enough, he cleared his throat loudly to remind Will of his presence. Reluctantly, Will pulled away from Alyss, realizing that she had no idea who Leon was, or that he was going to be Will's apprentice, and therefore would be staying with them.

"Alyss, this is Leon. Leon, this is my wife, Alyss." Leon nodded politely as he was introduced, appraising Alyss as he did so.

"Pleased to meet you Leon." She glanced at Will curiously, "Did you meet him during your latest assignment?"

"Yes, and he'll be staying with us."

"Is he visiting? For how long?"

"Well, roughly five to six years; unless the sky falls and the world ends." Leon replied; Will was still getting used to Leon's extremely dry and sarcastic sense of humor. Alyss just looked at him blankly. Dismounting, Leon looked at Will questioningly;

"Are we going to stand here and actually wait for the sky to fall?" Taking the hint, Will led the way to the stable.

* * *

"Once you get settled, come for dinner." Will said simply, then left. Once he was gone, Leon dropped his pack on the bed and flopped down next to it. _What have I gotten myself into?_ After a few more minutes, he sighed heavily and got up to put away his things, setting his weapons off to one side. When he ran, there wasn't much that he could've taken; and if he had taken more, or even just the ones he used most, his favorites, he knew his father would hunt him down. Specially forged out of the best metal you could find anywhere, he had been sorely tempted to take them, but they were too valuable, and he didn't want his father to find him. He valued his freedom more than anything, and he would do anything and everything to keep it.

* * *

When he walked into the kitchen, the first thing he noticed was a dark haired woman with green eyes. _A visitor? _

"Delia, this is Leon, my apprentice. Leon, this is Delia; her family runs the inn." Will explained, _But why is she here?_ He stepped forward, giving Delia a polite nod;

"Will was just telling me about you." _Yeah, I'll bet he was._ "Are you excited to be a Ranger's apprentice?" _That's a good question? Am I?_

"Yeah, I suppose I am." He replied with a shrug, "It sure beats being on my own." When a look of surprise and concern crossed her face, he surmised that Will hadn't told her about that part yet.

"On your own? But wouldn't you have been in a ward?" All she knew so far is that Will had run across him on the way back.

"Celtica doesn't have wards, at least not where I was, and I'm not exactly an orphan." Before she could ask why, he answered: "I ran away; he wasn't exactly what most people would consider a 'father' to be. I've been living on my own for almost a year." Delia's mouth formed an 'O' as she processed this information.

"Delia, would you and Seth like to join us for dinner?" Alyss queried, moving a pot from the stove to the table. Leon had noted the ring on Delia's left hand, and guessed that Seth was her husband.

"No, I would hate to disturb your plans for the evening. I'm sure you want to get to know Leon better; he's definitely an interesting person." She replied, smiling in his direction. "Maybe some other time."

* * *

As Leon lay in bed, his mind reviewed everything that had happened that evening; faces, names, various fact, and the terrain he had been through, and stored it for later reference. When he was through, he turned his thoughts to what he would be doing regularly: he was an apprentice now, a Ranger's apprentice no less, and what would be expected of him from now on. _Will said that I would start 'officially' tomorrow. I assume that it will include the chores I'm supposed to do..._ He sighed, realizing how different things would be from now on. _'The great Will Treaty', I guess that means that I'll have to work hard; it's never easy when your mentor is famous, they'll expect me to be the best... _And 'being the best' reminded him of his father, for whom he had never been good enough- _Stop it! This is different, Will's different, Araluen is different! _He quickly turned his attention outward, to the sounds of the night. He started with what he could hear outside of the cabin, then outside his room, then to what was within. _Crickets, tree frogs, an owl, the horses, the wind through the trees. The natural creakings of the cabin, shutters rattling slightly in the wind, Will and Alyss talking. A slight creaking of the bedstead, the slight movement of the shutter... _ His thoughts drifted off as he drifted towards sleep. _Will's probably telling Alyss all about his latest assignment, as well as everything he knows about me. He can talk all night, for all I care... _And so he drifted off to sleep, lulled by the sounds of the night.

* * *

Just as the sun peeped over the horizon, Will rolled out of bed; _Another day... _After getting dressed, he went to check on Leon. The boy was stretched out in what Will had previously thought an impossible position to get into to, and as he watched, Leon stretched out in a different, but equally impossible looking position. _That looks rather painful-_

"Are you always so easy to read?" Leon commented from the floor, switching positions once again; he seemed to enjoy Will's obvious incredulity.

"How can you do that?" The look on Will's face caused him to grin; twisting into the most impossible/painful looking stretch yet, he laughed at Will's look of incredulity.

"Really, it's not as hard as it looks." Unfolding his somewhat lanky frame, he got up off the floor; then Will noticed the bundle of weapons on the bed.

"What's all this?" He asked, unwrapping and spreading out the various and a sundry items: _All very well made; which means either his family is well off, or he stole them._

"It's what I grabbed when I ran; I couldn't take mine though."

"Oh?" Leon shook his head,

"Too valuable: he would have gone through the Devil himself to get them back." Turning back to his weapons, he ran his finger along each one; "There are a few you may not recognize." _That's for sure._ Will thought; _Though a few look familiar..._

"Shuriken, kukri, siangham, sai." Leon said, naming the unfamiliar weapons. "Punching daggers and double blades aren't common, but they aren't quite as foreign as the first three. Of course, everything else is standard." He finished, gesturing to the various knives and daggers that are used for everyday tasks. _He's almost a walking armory._ Will noted, laughing to himself; it seemed a little too much to carry around on your person.

"A lot of the common ones I picked up along the way; I usually don't bother carrying around this much." Leon added, "I wasn't sure what you would want me to do with them."

"Keep them around; if you want you can practice with them when you have extra time." He nodded;

"Sounds reasonable. I could even show you how they're used if you're interested.

* * *

"So, what all is on my list of chores?" Leon queried, having followed Will into the kitchen;

"What do you think needs to be done?" Will replied; a test of Leon's observation skills, _The key is not just to __look, but to __see__. _He watched Leon curiously, wondering what he he noticed.

"Since there's a pump inside, I don't have to haul any buckets, though it will probably need to be kept in clean and in working order. The rugs need beating, the floor swept, there's cobwebs in a few of the corners, the pots and pans could use scrubbing, one of the chairs on the porch needs fixing, the chimney probably needs cleaning, I'll need to stack firewood..." Leon shrugged; "Instead of standing idle, needlessly listing chores, I'll get started."

* * *

_As far as observation is concerned, I have yet to find any fault._ Will thought; he was quite pleased with how things were going so far. The cabin was as clean as it could possibly be, the cookware was probably cleaner that it had ever been, the small stable was now one hundred percent organized: _I can no longer use the excuse 'it's a mess because I don't have enough places to put things'. When he cleans, even the dirt stays where he puts it!_ He thought with a grin. Leon had also shown some skill when he had fixed the chair: Will hadn't been able to take care of it earlier. Even if he had had the time, he had no idea of how to go about it. _Leon is a puzzle: the answers I get only give me more questions..._ After several hours of working, Leon stopped,

"Anything I missed?" Will laughed:

"Nope." He paused before continuing; "Though I'm surprised that you're so organized." Leon recognized the comment for what it was: an opening to tell Will more about his past,

"Are you always this bad at being subtle?" He queried; Will looked at him, all the more curious. _Sharper than a saxe, and probably as tough._ Will thought, surprised that Leon had picked up on it so quickly.

"Ready for a skill assessment?"

* * *

Leon collapsed into one of the chairs on the porch; _I haven't had a workout like this since-_ He cut off his thoughts sharply, he wasn't even going to think it. Will sat in the chair next to him, impressed with how well he had done. _Certainly has a "knack" for archery, though he definitely needs quite a few pointers, better with the saxe and throwing knife but still needs plenty of instruction, and quite talented when it comes to moving around unseen: all can use improvement, but that will come with time, and practice._ Will grinned, thinking of how much he had heard that one word from Halt. _'So you're not as good as you want to be? Practice!'_ It seemed to him that practice was all he'd done for a long time. After they'd finished with the weapons, Will had led the way to the woods to see how Leon did with unseen movement and tracking, then Will had acted on impulse and had taken him on a run through the trees, to see how much endurance he had. _Of everything, his endurance is best; if he had kept going much longer, __I__ would have needed to rest!_ Will thought, suppressing a grin; he decided he would make running part of their practice sessions. Leon seemed like he wanted to know the place, and it was as good a way as any. _And I could use the exercise as well._ After the run, he had Leon lead the way back; a test of observation. _Which is as good as his endurance; he had no trouble leading the way back, even though he had never been that way before._ Will grinned; so far, things were coming along nicely.

* * *

Leon always stretches in the morning, it helps him maintain flexibility; not to mention it impresses the girls (JOKING! He doesn't pay much attention to girls, even when he's around them) lol

And yes, Delia is married; quite happily, I might add, to Seth. You'll find out more about him later.

_**REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!**_


	10. Pouring Rain, Dinner, And Dessert

*Disclaimer: *SOB* I wish I _did_ own RA!!!

YAY!!!! a new chapter! FINALLY; I know, it's been forever 0.o First, I had writers block pretty much all of last week, then my fingers couldn't type fast enough to get everything written down!

Btw, I couldn't remember what Delia's mom's name is (only name that came to mind was Martha, and I don't think that's it...) so yeah; if you know the name, let me know (:

**Chapter 9**

"Is Leon back yet?" Will queried, shaking the rain droplets off of his cloak. _It would pick this day to rain. Now I'll have to postpone our trip..._ This was one of his rare off days; still grumbling, he moved out of the walkway and sat down at the table. Noting Will's mood, Alyss brought the coffee pot over to the table. Muttering his thanks, Will poured himself a cup and tasted it; a little hot, but he took several swallows anyway, the burn of it warmed him as it went down. Mood somewhat improved, he leaned back with a sigh; Leon had been his apprentice about a week now, and he had planned on taking Leon Old Bob's today. Alyss had stayed home today instead of going to the castle; all she had to do currently was look through letters and documents, and she could do them just as well at home. As a plus, she wouldn't have to go through the driving rain to reach the castle.

"What time were they coming?" Will asked; just as she opened her mouth to answer, the door opened with a slam, bringing wind and rain into the snug cabin, as well as Leon. Shutting the door, he paused to lean against it for a moment; drenched to the skin and looking quite wind tossed, he was quite a sight.

"Have a nice run?" Alyss queried; Leon had insisted on sticking to his training schedule despite the weather, and had left his cloak near the stove so that it could dry out while he went on his run.

"Exhilarating!" He said, breathless, flashing a grin that lit up his whole face. _I do believe that this is the first time I've seen him so... excited; joyful even._ Alyss thought, surprised at his cheery mood. Laughing, he shook his head, sending rain water throughout the room;

"Hey!" Will exclaimed; shielding her face, Alyss laughed at Leon's gaiety, and daring. By now, Will was laughing too, his gloomy mood forgotten. Eyes alight, Leon lifted a hand in a small wave as he headed for his room.

* * *

"So, what are we going to do for the rest of the day?" Leon asked, now dressed in warm, dry clothes and currently lounging in a low-backed chair; Will's favorite, to be exact.

"Well, I was planning on taking you to meet someone, but with the rain-"

"A little rain never hurt anybody." Leon cut in,

"Do you really want to walk all day in this?" Will shot back; "It may not bother you, but as damp as it is, there's no way I'd be able to light a fire." Leon grinned, knowing how much his mentor loves his coffee.

"Leon, why don't you bring your wet clothes out here where they'll dry faster." Alyss suggested from her 'work-at-home' corner. Nodding in agreement, he soon had them spread out on the backs of several chairs near the stove.

"By the way, Delia says she's bringing vegetables and dessert, and that they'll be over when Seth finishes shoeing the knights' horses." Leon mentioned.

"Either of you boys have any ideas as to what we should make?" Alyss queried, "I haven't been able to decide."

"Stew is always good on a cold wet, day." Will put in, but Leon was already shaking his head;

"We have that all the time! You and your stew are as inseparable as you and your coffee!" He snorted, "Having common things to eat when you have friends over is like saying that _they're_ common." Turning to Alyss, he continued; "Have you ever made chicken with fennel?"

"No, I'm afraid not; I don't usually cook much, Edwina took care of the meals until you came along."

"Ah yes; chores, that's all apprentices are good for." He sighed; sarcastic as usual, and as usual, it took Alyss a few moments to realize he was joking. _I don't think I've ever met anyone more sarcastic; and he uses it so casually that, for a moment, he sounds like he's serious._ She laughed softly to herself; _He'll drive Halt up the wall!_

"Do you know how to make this 'chicken with fennel' stuff?" Will asked,

"Yeah, pretty much; it was the best liked main dish that was served at the inn."

"Why don't you give it a shot then."

"Oh, but I'm supposed to be reclusive; if people hear that I make the finest fennel chicken in Araluen, no one will ever treat me like a real Ranger. Next thing you know, they'll start striking up conversations with Rangers whenever they get the chance, and your reputation will be ruined."

"We'll keep it a secret, don't worry." Will laughed, "But seriously, give it a try."

* * *

"That smells delicious; what is it?" Delia asked as soon as she stepped through the door.

"Chicken with fennel." Leon answered shortly as he carried the dish to the table.

"It looks like it smells." Seth added, grinning; he was a big man, his broad shoulders rippling with muscle developed from long hours of shaping metal and shoeing big warhorses, his big hands were well calloused and he moved easily despite his large frame. Dark hazel eyes laughed through strands of wet, sandy hair in a well tanned face.

Leon studied them briefly as he finished setting the table, and decided that he liked Seth, but wasn't sure about Delia yet; _Women are always harder to judge... Men are less complex; generally speaking, that is._

_"_What did you bring for dessert?" Alyss asked, curious. Delia just grinned;

"It's a surprise." She said slyly, setting down a crock of sweet corn and mashed potatoes.

* * *

"This tastes great Alyss."

"Actually, Leon made it." Alyss replied,

"Really? I didn't know you could cook." Leon grimaced;

"That's just it; I can't."

"What do you mean? This is great!" Seth contradicted.

"It's far too dry and slightly burnt." Leon mumbled,

"You should have seen his first attempt; you couldn't even tell what it was." Will commented, grinning;

"That" Alyss scolded, "is because _you_ suggested cooking the chicken on a spit, instead of broiling it like you're supposed to." Will looked sheepish;

"How was I supposed to know that the fire would get hot enough to burn it; I usually cook over an open fire-"

"And you didn't think about the fact that a fireplace is made to produce more heat than a mere campfire, did you?" Alyss cut in again

"_I_ suggested stew for dinner-" Will began; he didn't have a chance to finish,

"_You_ were the one that told me to make the blasted chicken!" Leon exclaimed defensively at the same time Delia groaned; "You and your stew!" There was silence for a moment, then everyone started laughing.

"That's exactly what Leon said earlier! 'You and your stew are as inseparable as you and your coffee'!" Alyss said between laughs

"Hey! It's good stew!" Will objected; it seemed like everyone was abusing his stew.

"Yeah, but you make it _all_ the _time_!" Leon, Alyss and Delia shot back in unison; Seth just laughed all the louder.

Once everyone got laughed out, Delia pulled out a covered dish and set it on the table;

"Who's up for dessert?" Without waiting for an answer, she pulled off the lid. Alyss gasped softly; an exquisitely well made sugar-spun castle topped what looked like a cake covered with vanilla frosting. Leon drew in a breath in surprise, and was shocked when the scent reached his nostrils.

"Where did you get _chocolate_?" He exclaimed softly. Delia looked at him in surprise;

"How did you know?"

"I'd recognize the smell anywhere." He said offhandedly, "But I didn't think Araluen had heard of it yet; where did you get it?"

"A small foreign trading vessel stopped here a few weeks ago to take on more rations and fresh water; they'd been blown off course by a big storm and had no idea where they were. A good bit of water had gotten into the cargo hold, so they were selling the worst of it cheap. I asked if any of it was salvageable, and one of them pointed out a small barrel and mentioned that some of it might be ruined, but the stuff on the inside would probably be dry. I spent a few days experimenting with it before I got the ratio right."

"Chocolate isn't cheap; only the upper class can afford it." Leon was studying her closely, as if he were trying to figure something out.

"You seem to know a lot about it." Will commented, curious;

"Yeah, it was what my father preferred." He grinned slightly, "And it's _much_ better than coffee."

"Then how come it's not well known here?" Will was a little incredulous;

"I believed I mentioned that it was expensive, but it is also hard to harvest and process."

"Anyway, let's quit talking and try this chocolate for ourselves." Alyss said. As Delia started cutting up the 'cake', it was apparent that it wasn't; a cake, that is. Rich, moist brownie was topped with fresh strawberries and the whole thing was covered with vanilla pudding. Casually leaning back in his chair, Leon watched as she dished out the pieces.

* * *

"I agree with you; it _is_ better than coffee." Alyss commented, grinning at Will's expression of mock hurt.

"Alyss, how could you?" He gasped, feigning shock.

"Cut it out; sarcasm _so_ does not suit you." Leon said, rolling his eyes as he elbowed Will.

"Sarcasm is the lowest form of wit; some say it isn't wit at all." Delia put in;

"If it were really 'wit', then what would be the point?" Leon queried, cocking his head sideways. "That's why it's so funny; I only use it for my own amusement anyway."

"Really?"

"Yeah; some people have the funniest expressions. And the people don't react at all, like it's _soooo_ boring; they're the best ones."

"Why?"

"Because their expressions are the best! Little do they know that no reaction at all is what I'm going for." He grinned; "It tells you a lot about their character, too."

"You're a very interesting person Leon." Delia laughed;

"Really?" Then he sighed, "I can't believe I'm already such a failure at being a Ranger." Unlike Will, sarcasm fitted Leon quite well; there were quite a few laughs.

"No, really; you are." Leon shrugged;

"Lots of people would disagree."

"That's their problem." Delia paused for a moment; "How come you seem to know so much about people and things?"

"I watch, and I listen; I've also traveled a lot, and I find people interesting. To watch, to listen to, to analyze..." He shrugged "There's a lot of things that you can learn just by doing those few things; but most people don't realize that."

_It's a rare thing to find a person that knows the value of careful observation that's not a Ranger. _Will wondered all the more about Leon's past; _Where did he learn everything he knows? By whom was he taught?_

"Where all have you been?" Alyss coaxed,

"Gallica, Celtica, Skandia, Hibernia." He reeled off, "I've been to the Eastern Steppes, to numerous small islands across the ocean, traversed the arid plains and deserts of Arrida; I've seen sights that few others have, been places few people even dream of." There was a moment of silence before he continued; "If you want me to tell you more about my past, ask, not play games with me. Those who play games with me usually lose." He folded his arms across his chest, a hint of a smile on his lips.

"Alright then; tell us."

* * *

TA-DA!!!!

Okay, I know that chocolate is kinda an anachronism, but if they have coffee, they can have chocolate too!!! I'm not so sure how well the whole 'foreign ship' thingy works, but I just came up with it on the spot, and couldn't think of anything better; besides, I found a way to tie it into the story.... anywayz; in all reality, chocolate is hard to process, especially by hand; which, of course, makes it pretty pricey :P

now: _**REVIEW**_ and tell me what thou thinkest q:


	11. Contains History, Humor, & Cross Country

*Disclaimer: Me? Own RA? Nope: that's John Flanagan's job.

Anudder chappie! Yay! I can't believe I wrote it in only 2 days 0.o

Anywayz: here you learn more about Leon!

Read on (:

**Chapter 10**

"I was born approximately fifteen years ago; I say approximately because I don't know. No one ever told me, no one's ever celebrated my birthday; I can only guess at my age, but so many of years are just a blur, I can't hardly remember anything." He shook his head, "I'm an only child, so far as I know; my mother died when I was born. I've been traveling for as long as I can recall, learning bits of the different languages along the way. I've seen many different types and methods of government, mingled with many different peoples, seen and ridden many different horses." At that last statement, he got a faraway look in his eye,

"I've ridden horses that have had blood shed over their ownership; some bred for royalty, some bred in the wild, some that just happened. But all of them were the best that you've ever seen, or dreamed of..." Then his eyes got cold and hard, showing a rage that was as cold, deliberate, calculating, and as unrelenting winter's own fury; "And I have seen many of those same horses wasted by the stupidity of men." His tone of voice made even the warm cabin seem cold.

"I have watched wars, fought in none; watched people kill each other over nothing. I've fought in self defense, and once out of rage that I couldn't contain-"

"Why?" Seth asked simply,

"He was beating his horse to death, simply because it was young and frightened, unused to the ways of men. I gave him fair warning." His eyes glinted in the firelight; "He chose to ignore me; didn't think I was serious, only a boy." He laughed, but no humor was in it. "He paid for that dearly." A look of surprise crossed Alyss's and Delia's faces.

"Oh, I didn't kill him, just made him wish I had. I tried to help the horse, but I was too late, the damage was irreversible. A fine young mare, as golden as the sunrise, that held as much promise as a new day; she died in a pool of her own blood, her potential squandered: beautiful, even in death." A new level of rage was in his voice, and Will felt sorry for any poor, foolish souls that might cross him.

"No one even noticed, or cared; I was the only one that stood up to him." He looked at Will, "A whip is a most useful tool for making people suffer; I left him lying unconscious on the ground, and I don't regret it." He glared insolently around the table, as if daring anyone to tell him that he should have done something different. Quite to his relief, none of them did; in fact, they almost seemed... approving? Not exactly, but that was the only way he knew how to describe it.

"That was a few years ago; my father constantly traveled, so I'm not sure exactly where. He's worked for a lot of different people, especially after my mother died; from what I heard, he almost went crazy with grief." He hesitated; "I've never heard exactly what he does, but according to everyone I've heard, he's... an assassin, of sorts. He's the sort of guy that you hire to 'clean up' a mess, or to 'take care of' someone. And he wanted me to follow in his footsteps." Leon grimaced, then smiled wryly; "Though he always said it could never work for me: I'm too memorable."

"What do you mean by that?" Delia asked,

"Uncommon eye and hair color, slightly taller than average..." He shrugged, "People remember me; I don't blend in very well." Leon laughed grimly, " Is it any wonder that I don't really like talking about myself?"

* * *

"Fare thee well, Greybeard Halt, fare thee well I say. Fare thee well, Greybeard Halt, I'll see you on your way." As Will finished, everyone was laughing and clapping, and though Leon was a bit amused, he looked somewhat less than enthusiastic; everyone else was practically rolling.

"Did you actually play that to his face?" He queried, his face unreadable.

"Sort of: the first time he overheard me, the second, I was playing _Old Joe Smoke_ and accidentally reverted to that version." Will laughed at the memory; "Crowley was dying of laughter, and Halt was as expressionless as ever." Leon just raised an incredulous eyebrow.

"What?"

"Oh, I just thought you were more subtle than that."

"How do you mean?"

"Letting your target know what the joke is takes all the fun out of it." It was Will's turn to raise an eyebrow;

"Really? Give us an example." Leon shrugged,

"Okay." He said, casually reaching out and taking the mandola from a surprised Will and strummed it a few times; it didn't sound very good, at least, not compared to what he could do with a guitarra. He grimaced, shaking his head; "Why couldn't you have a quetar?" Then he cleared his throat and began, strumming sparingly so as not to sound quite as awful as he was:

"Graybeard Halt was a fine old man; washed his face in a frying pan, combed his hair with a wagon wheel, died of a toothache in his heel-" Looks of surprise were soon followed with grins, then laughter as he continued; "Get out the way for Graybeard Halt, ran out to get some table salt. Now supper's over and dishes washed; nothin' left but a piece of squash." He stopped there, grinning devilishly. Then everyone started talking at once:

"Is there- any more?" Alyss gasped between fits of laughter.

"What's- the original- song?" Seth queried,

"Did you just- make that up- on the spot?" Will wanted to know, and;

"'Ran out to get some- table salt'?!" Delia exclaimed; then everyone burst out laughing again.

"Yes, there's more; the original is called 'Old Dan Tucker'; yes, I did, it's not like you gave me any time to plan; and that was the only thing I could come up with! There's not a lot that rhymes with 'Halt'; I could have rhymed it with 'dolt', but I thought that was a little too far for a good natured joke." Leon said, answering all their questions at once,

"Yeah, that would have been going too far." Will agreed. "But by all means, continue." Leon laughed, then started up again.

"Now Graybeard Halt is come to town, riding a billy goat, leadin' a hound. The hound dog bark and the billy goat jump; sent Graybeard Halt right straddle a stump! Get out the way for Graybeard Halt, ran out to get some table salt. Now supper's over and dishes washed; nothin' left but a piece of squash..."

* * *

"Done practicing?" Will asked Leon as he came inside, all sweaty from his morning run and target practice."

"Yeah." He replied; walking over to the pump and dousing his head, he then shook off the excess water, sending it all across the room. "That feels much better; today's a hot one." He commented,

"Sure is." Will agreed; the storm had cleared up nicely, and the day was a bit muggy, as well as hot. _That probably means that there's another storm on the way..._ Will thought; _This is as good a chance as we're going to get._ "Leon, I want you to saddle Tug for me; we're going for a hike."

* * *

"How much farther is it?" Leon asked as the afternoon drew on, long and hot.

"Seeing as we've only been traveling for half a day; another one and a half at the least."

"And why are we traveling that far, oh wise Ranger?" Leon had taken to referring to Will in this manner; it bugged him, and it let him know that Leon wasn't in the mood to play games. Particularly those word games where the mentor waits for the apprentice to cave and ask a million questions.

"To see a man about a mule." Will replied, straight faced; _I've been wanting to use that one for a long time now._ He thought, grinning on the inside. But Leon played this game well; there would be no more questions about where they were going. Not unless it took longer than Will said it would. _Then I'll have to deal with an extra dose of sarcasm, irony, and satirical wit._

"Are we just going to walk the whole way?"

"I don't see a horse that you can ride." Will answered; Leon rolled his eyes emphatically at this,

"That's not what I meant." He commented.

"Then what do you mean?"

"I run, you ride; if you feel so inclined, we can switch out." Amused by this, Will sends Tug into a pace eating jog. Leon rose to the challenge: jogging when Tug jogged, and running when he loped. After a weeks worth of long morning runs, Will thought this would be as good a time as any to see just how much endurance his apprentice had.

And they would travel faster.

* * *

After a couple hours, Will brought Tug to a stop and dismounted; "We'll take a breather and have something to eat before going on." Nodding, Leon slumped against one of the trees that ringed the small clearing, relaxing his muscles. He needed as much rest as he could get if he was going to keep this up. _I wonder how often Rangers walk, instead of ride. _He pondered briefly; his eyes were closed and he was taking in as much oxygen as he could. _Good thing I've been running more; otherwise, this would be impossible... _He sighed; _That doesn't change how tired I am, though._ After a few more moments, he opened his eyes to see Will eating a sandwich and watching Leon with a bemused look on his face. Then Will rummaged around in one of the saddlebags and tossed him a sandwich.

"Eat up; we've got a ways to go before we stop." Leon stood up and stretched before taking a bite, then he headed for the stream he heard just outside the clearing, tearing off a few more bites as he went. If he didn't stay hydrated, he'd break down before too long.

Once he got back, Will mounted, and they were off again.

* * *

Will could barely make out the cabin in the darkness; slowing Tug to a walk, he glanced at Leon. Exhausted, he was still on his feet, though just barely. _And he's probably game enough to go a few more miles yet._

"Hey! You in the cabin! Is this any way to treat friends!" Will bellowed in the general direction of the cabin.

"Well, it's hardly decent of you to show up, unannounced, in the the middle of the night, bellowing like a baited bull." A familiar voice stated behind them.

"Hey Kayle." Leon said casually, sounding slightly bored.

"How's things been going for you Leon?" Kayle replied; "You look like you ran all the way here." Leon raised an eyebrow wearily:

"Well, I don't recall riding a horse." He replied sarcastically. Kayle blink in surprised, then turned and strode towards the cabin.

"In that case, come on in and have something to eat."

* * *

Ta-da!

Leon + whip = be afraid! be very very very very very VERY afraid! It may seem a bit extreme, but horses were extremely valuable; if your horse died, or was stolen, you had practically no chance of survival. Why do you think they go through all the trouble to train the Ranger horses/ponies if it weren't so important?

Okay; I don't remember where exactly Meric fief is, so I just put it here (wherever 'here' is) Btw, they're on the way to Old Bob's, and if I remember correctly, it was within a days walk of Redmont: which makes it about two days from Seacliff, give or take.

"To see a man about a mule." is something my I've heard from my dad, my grandpa, and my great uncle; it's just an odd saying, pay no attention to it .

And yes, Leon is quite fit: remember, he hasn't had a horse since he ran to escape his father over a year ago (the ones he 'acquired' from the vagabonds don't count). I mean, how else would he get around? Fly? And while he was quite run down when they found him at Wilder, most of that was from shock and it didn't take him long to bounce back. That, and he's been running more than Will knows...

Geez I'm rambling; time to shut up and let you _**REVIEW!**_

_**BWUAHAHAHAHA!!!!**_

_**REVIEW!  
**_


	12. Nothin' But Stubborn

Disclaimer: you know the drill :3

ANOTHER CHAPTER!

TA-DA!

**Chapter 11**

"You really made him run?" Gilan asked as soon as Leon was asleep,

"Yeah; I made sure he got plenty of breaks." Will replied, but Gilan was already shaking his head.

"Whether or not he got plenty of breaks, it's still too far for anyone to be expected to run-"

"Especially if he has to match the stride of a Ranger's horse." Kayle cut in; Leon had been dead on his feet when they arrived, and Will hadn't looked like he had run at all; "You could have at least switched out with him, let him ride Tug for a bit."

"It's not like you think; when we first got to Seacliff, I decided to show him the island, but also see how much endurance he had. So I took him for a run, and when he started showing signs of exhaustion, he led the way back; to test his observation." Will shook his head, grinning; "He almost wore _me_ out! If he had been able to keep running for even five more minutes, _I _would have been the one in need of a rest; and when I told him to lead the way back, he didn't even hesitate." He shook his head again. "The only skills I haven't found lacking are his endurance and observation skills, and he's plenty stubborn to boot. Since he liked running so much, and I certainly needed the exercise, it became a part of his daily routine; he's been able to run farther each day, and even though I've been going along with him, by the time I stop and have him lead the way back, _I'm_ the one that's wiped out.

"When we started this morning, I was content at a walk, but he decided that we should pick up the pace; we've made great time. I honestly didn't expect to get this far until tomorrow morning or afternoon."

"How's the rest of his training been going?"

"Quite well Gilan; he wasn't exaggerating when he talked of his past training, he already has a fairly good start on things. On the other hand, he has some odd habits that get in the way; how he shoots, for example. He takes forever to get off a shot."

"Has he talked about his past at all?" Kayle queried, "Do you what he was doing in Wilder?"

"In a nutshell: his life with his father, who was an assassin of sorts, was bloody awful. He doesn't know exactly how old he is, he's traveled a lot, he isn't afraid to confront people who are doing wrong; especially when a horse is concerned." Will paused for a moment, "And I will _never_ get on his bad side." To say Gilan and Kayle looked only mildly surprised at this last statement would be like saying Morgarath was a nice old man who gave candy to children and went about doing good in his spare time.

"_Why?_" They said in unison; Will sighed, then started explaining,

"He was talking about horses; good ones, ones that were often wasted 'by the stupidity of men'. When he mentioned fighting out of a rage that he couldn't contain..." He shook his head; "Seth asked him why; what he described... I can't imagine how awful that must have been to watch, and yet he was the only one who stood up. A man was beating his horse to death; it was a young one, and was frightened by something. I'm not sure exactly what it was that made him mad enough to beat it, I don't even think Leon knows; he gave the man fair warning, and when it was ignored, he took action." Will paused again, remembering the cold fury that had emanated from Leon as he told the story. "One of his favorite weapons is the whip, and though I haven't seen him use one, he talks casually of it's usefulness and his skill with it. He beat that man nigh to death with one, and doesn't regret it in the slightest; but he was too late to save the horse."

"And all this made you decide not to get on his bad side?" Gilan asked, incredulous; he knew Will wasn't easily intimidated.

"It wasn't the story itself; it was the look in his eye. You had to be there to understand." He groped for a way to describe it, "Remember that look that Halt would get sometimes, the one that made you glad that you were on his side; the one that cows practically everyone? Imagine that look, only coming from a fifteen year old boy." Gilan looked at Will, wondering what it must have been like;

"Are you serious?" Kayle looked confusedly from Gilan, to Will, and back again;

"Dead serious." Will replied, "What's interesting, is that he never described the man at all; but he talked of the horse like it was his own. 'Golden as the sunrise', 'as much promise as a new day'; a mare, well bred, beaten past the point of recovery. 'Died in a pool of her own blood, potential squandered, beautiful even in death'..." He was silent for a moment before continuing; "I was quite taken aback by his lack of regret; he didn't kill the man right off, but I imagine that, if he lived, that he's scarred for life and most probably crippled. A fate worse than death. But I don't know that I would have done anything different if I found someone beating Tug, or any other horse for no reason; so I couldn't condemn him for his past actions."

"Sounds like he's going to make one heck of a Ranger."

* * *

For the first time since Will had met him, Leon was still sound asleep when the sun came up.

"Let him sleep until breakfast is ready." Gilan advised; Will agreed wholeheartedly, he deserved his rest.

"If we make as good of time as we did yesterday, we should get to Bob's just before sunset-"

"You're not going to make him run the whole way again, are you?" Kayle asked, concerned for his fellow apprentice.

"No; we'll switch out today. That is, if he'll let me."

"That stubborn, is he?" Gilan wondered aloud,

"Yeah; he'll take it as a challenge, like I think that he's too weak to go the distance. It's like he's always trying to prove himself."

"Maybe he's taking the whole 'you have only a month and a half before the Gathering' thing too seriously; like he has to be as good as all the other apprentices or else he'll get kicked out of the Corps." Kayle suggested

"I hadn't thought about that." _It seems like something he would worry about; being on his own must have been hard, even for him._

"Breakfast is ready; why don't you go wake him up as we put it on the table?" Gilan said, taking the bacon and eggs off the stove and setting them on the aforementioned table.

* * *

After about an hour of travel, Will pulled up and dismounted; "Leon, it's your turn to ride." He wasn't showing as much exhaustion as Will had thought he would; he was breathing fast, but not hard, and it wasn't taking him long to catch his breath. Leon just looked at Will, a thoughtful, slightly confused look in his eyes;

"Why? Aren't I running the whole way?"

"Not if you don't want to." Will replied, trying to choose his words carefully. Leon just shrugged, then turned and set off at a jog in the direction they had been heading: Will had no choice but to follow.

By the time they stopped for lunch, however, he looked about as run down as he had last night. _I can't let him run any more; not until he's had a good long rest, and we don't have time for that now._ Once they finished their sandwiches, Will decided to bring it up;

"Ready to ride Leon?"

"What; do you think I can't make it?" He replied aggressively. He was tired, and knew that he was in desperate need of a break; but something in him just refused to back down. Rather cranky, everything was rubbing him the wrong way.

"You think that I want to ride the whole way?" Will was desperate to keep him from running; he didn't want a half dead apprentice.

"Well then, have your pretty little pony follow along behind; 'cause I'm not riding." With that, he was off; again.

Shaking his head, Will secured Tug's reins to the saddle so he wouldn't step on them; "Follow." He ordered, then went after his stubborn charge.

* * *

"Did ya decide to race Tug? Or are ya outa shape and were needin' a run?" Old Bob looked at Will curiously; then he noticed the boy. "Ah, thought you would be getting a 'prentice soon-" Then he noticed how hard Leon was breathing, "Don't tell me ya made him run the whole way?!" But the exasperated and beaten look in Will's eyes told him that he had.

"I was the one who suggested it; this morning he offered me a ride." Leon snorted; "As if I couldn't make it." Leon tried to laugh ruefully, but it turned into a coughing fit.

"Boy, you look like you're barely alive." Old Bob commented, shaking his head. _Young'uns, always so full of spirit; 'specially the ones the Rangers pick. Just like frisky young colts, only they get trained a different way, an' no method works for the same two boys._

"I'm- fine-" He managed between coughs,

"Don't give me any a' that nonsense; there's water over yonder." Bob reprimanded, gesturing in the direction of the barn. Once he was out of earshot, Bob turned back to Will.

"I know that ya know better than to run horses, or people, into the ground; was it the boys own doing?"

"Yeah, he wouldn't quit."

"You look wore out too, Will." Bob laughed, "I've got just the horse for him. Been waitin for jest the right boy to come along; she's a doosey."

"A mare then?"

"Yup. Females can be right touchy; they need a lighter touch at the right time, and in the right way. And ya kin never force 'em to do nothin' if they don't want to; not like some stallions and most geldings. They're usually more level headed, but sometimes lack spirit; mares have no lack of that. They have an overabundance!" Bob laughed like it was the funniest thing he'd ever heard,

"Don't they generally have less speed and endurance though?"

"Generally, yes; but no Ranger horse is less than above average. This mare has plenty of that, but I've never gotten her to give it to me; too stubborn to." He looked at Will from the corner of his eye; "I'll bet that Blaze has matched every one of Tug's strides, and then some!"

"If she's as stubborn as Leon, then they'll be a good match." Will replied, grinning at that last remark.

"That's what I'm countin' on."

* * *

"Are you going to tell me why we're here now, all-knowing Ranger?" Leon drawled, water mingling with sweat as it ran down his face; he had a habit of dunking his head to cool off, which usually ended up getting water everywhere.

"This way." Old Bob answered, leading the way to a small paddock where a short, close-coupled horse was bucking and plunging around. In an instant, Leon was on the paddock fence, his eyes following the horse's every move; taking in the easy, flowing strides, the horse's lines and points.

"Why don't you go on ahead and catch her?" Will suggested; before he had even finished the question, Leon's feet hit the ground inside. They watched as he casually walked across to the other side, ignoring the mare as if she didn't exist; when he reached it, he leaned up against the railing, his back to the horse. _What makes him think that he'll catch her that way?_ Will thought, puzzled. The mare swerved towards the boy, as if intent on running him down, then swung away; after running by him a few more times, the mare came to a stop, watching him curiously. Ears pricked, she slowly walked up to him, swinging her head back and forth, up and down, to take him in from every angle. Much to Will's surprise, she stopped with her nose touching Leon's shoulder. Murmuring softly, he turned around slowly, careful not to startle her. Facing her now, he ran a gently hand down her face, his hand lingering on her velvet muzzle. With a squeal, she whirled and ran; kicking out in play, her hoof struck Leon in the knee and he went down on his good, unkicked knee.

"Leon!" Will cried out in alarm; to his surprise, Leon was laughing.

"You cheeky devil you! Get back here!" Getting back on his feet, he strode towards her, still laughing. Kicking up her heels, she ran around him several times before coming to a stop in front of him.

* * *

I've always kinda wondered; the book specifies that Blaze is a mare, but they only refer to Tug, Abelard, etc. as 'he/him'. My question is: are they stallions or geldings? Idk if that has bugged anyone else; I'm extremely horsey, so I fuss about details that concern them.

Btw: Jerionly and LERIOEN, your reviews sound like the same person did it twice under different names. Here's a word of advice: get a life! If you don't like my fanfic, fine, don't read it.

I had some other things I was going to add, but have now forgotten them...

_**REVIEW!**_


	13. Never A Horse That Couldn't Be Rode

*Disclaimer: seeing as I am not John Flanagan, it's kinda impossible for me to own it...

Short chapter, I know :P The name comes from an old(ish) saying: "There was never a horse that couldn't be rode, and never a rider that couldn't be throwed". I could only fit the first part in chapter title :( *grumbles*

to sunshine: sry for not answering earlier; I tend to be forgetful sometimes. I never heard of that band till you mentioned them. Actually, I sorta 'came up with' the name Leon, or thought I did, because I had _never_ heard that name before; but after I picked that name, I've heard it dozens of times, lol! Kinda funny, idn't it?

Anywayz, nothing really important happens in this chapter; some of you are probably wondering when the war and 'rumors of war' are going to start (: Don't worry, I'm getting there; it's just taking forever...

**Chapter 12**

"Ready to mount up?" Will queried as Leon finished tightening the girth,

"You have no idea." He replied shortly, giving the girth one last tug before securing it.

"Go on ahead and try her out." At this, he looked at Will suspiciously;

"Is there something you're not telling me, Will?"

"Are you going to ride or not?" Will prompted; after giving him one last look, Leon led the mare to the middle of the paddock, checked all the tack, and mounted. He settled into the saddle instantly and waited for a reaction; from the way Will was all gung-ho for him to ride... Leon wouldn't put it past him to give him a horse that liked to buck or rear, or had some other vice. _Do apprentices train their own mounts?_ Leon wondered. But the horse didn't react at all, so he decided to try a walk; then the mare exploded into action. Bucking, sun-fishing, corkscrewing, and crow-hopping, she reached for the sky and plunged for the earth in the same instant. Having no time for thought, he reacted instinctively, using all his years of skill and experience.

As the dust settled, Will stared in disbelief at the scene before him: the mouse gray mare stood, her neck bent so far that her nose was touching the left stirrup. A very wide-eyed Leon sat in the saddle, looking quite alarmed, to say the least. After a few more seconds, he quickly dismounted and stood on shaky legs;

"What- on earth- was that?!" He looked at Will and Old Bob plaintively.

"All Ranger horses are trained to throw anyone who doesn't give them the correct pass-code." Bob replied, watching him in amusement; _He's definitely what that mare needs._

"And of _course_ it just so happened that it _slipped your mind_, oh wonderful and wise Ranger." He groaned, slumping against his mount. She nudged him with her nose, looking at him curiously; she loved to buck, and no one had been able to stop her that quick before. They usually weren't ready for it, she's always such a doll before they mount; then she's all devil. Distracted, Leon, started stroking her, but the opportunity to play a trick was too much for her. She stepped sideways and back, and since he had been leaning on her, he landed flat on his back.

"Blast!" He muttered, and closed his eyes, trying to relax, as well as dredge up any sort of energy that he might have left.

"Are you okay?" Will asked, concerned, having finally recovered from the shock he had received; so far as he knew, no one had ever managed to stay on a Ranger horse without having given the pass-code.

"Gee, let me think; I've been running for almost two days straight, I've been kicked by a horse, have had a particularly wild, if short, ride, and have just been dumped on the ground. You really should have given me more to do; you're slacking." Leon replied, his voice dripping with as much sarcasm, irony, and satirical wit as he could possibly muster, which caused Old Bob to shake with laughter; Will just winced.

"I didn't _force_ you to run-"

"Maybe not, but you could have let me ride the packhorse or something." He mumbled, eyes still closed. The mare, wondering why he hadn't gotten up, nudged him with her nose again. "You little she-devil, you." He said affectionately, opening his eyes to give her a glare; it didn't work too well, he has too much of a soft spot for horses.

"What's her name?" He queried as he slowly climbed back to his feet.

"Sharaveire, Shara for short." Hearing her name, she turned from Leon to look at Bob, ears and eyes centered on him. "It means 'moon-shadow', or somethin like that; heard it some years back."

"Shara..." He looked at her, then back at Bob; "So what's her 'pass-code'?" Old Bob chuckled,

"For your ears only."

"Of course." Grinning, Leon turned and whispered in Shara's ear.

* * *

"Looks like you survived." Gilan commented as they rode in late that night.

"Yeah; did you think I wouldn't?" Leon replied, raising his eyebrows; Gilan just shook his head.

"How's your horse?" As if she understood the question, Shara pricked her ears, arched her neck and pawed the ground.

"Great, if a bit vain." At this, she snorted. Laughing, he dismounted, leaving a hand resting on her shoulder. "This is Sharaveire, Shara for short."

* * *

"Well, see you at the Gathering." Kayle said, as Leon finished saddling his mare;

"Sure thing Kayle." Leon replied with a grin, then swung up on Shara; the next thing he knew, he was lying on his back and Shara was pushing him with her nose. Again.

"Oooowwwww." He moaned, carefully sitting up. "What did you do that for?" He demanded, glaring at her.

"Are you all right?" Will asked, slightly worried; Leon had hit his head pretty hard that time.

"I will be if this bloody mare would behave!" He growled as he slowly climbed back to his feet; "Are you mad that I didn't fall off yesterday?" To his surprise, she nodded. "You cheeky hellion!" He exclaimed, pushing her away. With a groan, he stretched out, his back popping as he did so; rolling his shoulders and stretching his arms, several pairs of eyebrows shot up, surprised at the number of popping and cracking his joints were doing.

"That's better." He said to no one in particular, then remounted; "Till our paths cross."

* * *

"I trust the trip went well." Seth remarked; Will had sent Leon to the blacksmith's to get Shara re-shod, she'd thrown a shoe a few days after they had gotten back.

"Yeah, it went fine." He hesitated before continuing, "Do you think it would hurt her to leave her barefoot?" Seth looked up from the shoes he'd been going through. He'd already taken the others off and trimmed her hooves down; she was all set for new shoes, but he was having a hard time finding some small enough to fit her dainty little feet. _Looks like they could fit in a teacup..._

"She'd probably be fine; thinking of leaving her shoeless?"

"Yeah; I've never liked shoes on a horse unless it was absolutely necessary. If they were meant to wear shoes, they would be born with them on. Though some horses can't go without." He explained,

"I wish more people thought that way; shoes aren't all they're cracked up to be, and then if your horse throws a shoe and goes lame, and there's no farrier around..." Seth shrugged, tossing the shoe he had in his hand back into the barrel at his feet. "If you never shoe a horse, their hooves are almost always hard enough to withstand the wear they get when you ride."

Nodding in agreement, Leon turned to leave;

"Hold on a moment, I've got something I thought you might be interested in."Seth called, walking over to the piles and stacks that were on what passed for shelves and started moving things around.

"You know, you really ought to organize this place; it would make things easier." Leon commented,

"Yeah, tell me about it. Ah! Here it is!" Seth exclaimed, pulling something out from under a pile of odds and ends, causing several little avalanches; he tossed it to Leon, who caught it easily. Silent, he slowly uncoiled it, letting the end fall to the floor.

"An ox driver left it here sometime last year, thought you would like it." With a flick of the wrist, the lash hissed through the air and popped; the noise sounded loud in the small smithy.

"Do I ever." Leon said softly, his eyes alive with the familiar sensation of a whip butt in his hand. With a few quick motions, he sent the lash popping and hissing around Shara, missing her by a hairs breadth each time. Unflinching, she looked at him curiously, then grabbed a hold of the whip a few inches from the handle and gave it a tug.

"You goose! Lets get you home..." _I can't wait to show Will._

* * *

Some of you may be thinking that it's impossible to stay on a Ranger horse: NOT. But only because Leon is generally suspicious of everybody that's ever existed, and he's _extremely_ horse savvy; and, as pointed out in the chapter title, there was 'never a horse that couldn't be rode'. If you react fast enough, it is actually fairly simple to stop a horse, whether it's running away willy-nilly, rearing, or bucking like nothing you've ever seen; you see, if the horse's nose is touching either stirrup, it _must_ come to a stop. You just have to have _really good_ reflexes. True, it might lose it's footing and fall, but it never the less comes to a stop. Don't believe me? Try it for yourself (not suggested; injury can result if you don't/can't react fast enough, or you don't have enough experience) or ask someone who knows horses really well; I use this method _all_ the time with my horses. It's a simple law of nature: it is impossible for a horse to misbehave if it's neck and head are bent around as far as it can possibly go, or if it's going in _little bitty_ circles. But Shara, being the contrary little mare that she is, got her vengeance (: LOL! I would do that if I were a horse :) and that little incidence relates to the second half of the saying: 'never a rider who couldn't be throwed'.

Gee, I sound kinda defensive... but I my words alwayz come across the wrong way :3 I guess what I'm trying to say is: while it may seem totally improbable for Leon to stay on, it isn't; it's just next to impossible, and you have to be expecting it.

*sigh* That came across wrong too...

Oh well *shrugs* take it or leave it, but

_**REVIEW!!!**_


	14. Boredom Results In Foolish Actions

*Disclaimer: ya know, repeating it doesn't make it any truer than it was in the beginning :P

Another short chapter, lol!

**Chapter 13**

Leon looked incredulously at Will, "And _why_, oh wonderful Ranger, do you insist on trying to sneak up on your former mentor?"

"It's a test of skill." Will replied, slightly annoyed; _Why does he always have to be so scathingly sarcastic?_ Will knew that he had asked a million questions a minute, but he hadn't been anything like Leon, whose sense of humor was dryer than a dessert at noon, with sarcasm, irony, satirical wit, and cynical observations more abundant than stars in the sky, grains of sand on the shore, and waves in the sea all rolled into one. _Heaven help me refrain from strangling him while he's my apprentice._ If Will had known what was to come, he would have spent more time trying to get to know and understand the boy he would come to miss in future years.

"Alright, alright; but I still think it would be a better idea to set up camp." Leon remarked, "Now, what's your plan?"

* * *

Halt sighed; Will was trying to surprise him again this year. _That boy needs more things to do; boredom tends to result in foolish actions._ He sighed; "Will, you can go on ahead and come out; I know you're there."

"Why do you always have to ruin my fun?" Will grumbled good-naturedly as he materialized from the shallow gully he'd been using for cover. _The boy's getting good..._

"And you can tell Gilan to come on out too." Grinning, Gilan emerged as well.

"You always know, Halt."

"And call your mischievous apprentices; wouldn't want them getting lost." Halt had just turned Abelard to continue along the trail towards the Gathering when he caught a blur of movement out of the corner of his eye. He jerked his head to the side and started to swing Abelard back around, but was too late. He swore as the braided leather wrapped around him, pinning his arms to his sides. With his knees, he turned his horse in the direction the attack had come from just in time to see a grulla mare walk out of the trees, watching Halt with a devil-may-care glint in her eyes.

"Hmm, I wonder if Blaze knows that trick..." Gilan mused, looking from the mare to the whip that encircled Halt's torso. Laughing, Kayle stepped out from behind a bush;

"We got you good, huh Halt." He said with a grin; Halt just glared daggers.

"'We'?" Halt then turned to his former apprentices; "So you distracted me and let your apprentices do your dirty work? How shameful."

"Actually, it was our idea; we ran into each other as we were headed to our respective positions." Leon corrected, his voice seeming for a moment to come from Shara.

"What the-" Halt began; then he realized what had happened. "Looks like your apprentices are better at strategy than you are." He commented as he watched Leon pull himself back into the saddle. "Good job." Will and Gilan exchanged looks of surprise; 'good job' from Halt was about as good as an award given by a baron.

"I still don't-" Will began, puzzled, but Halt cut him off;

"They let you two distract me; Kayle moved at just the right time, giving himself away while distracting me enough that I didn't spot Leon who was hanging on the off side of his mare, concealed from view. I noticed her, but thought that she had been left there while Leon creeped around; but once my back was turned, he pulled himself up high enough to let fly the whip that is now getting very annoying, seeing as it's restricting my movement." Taking the hint, Leon stepped forward and freed Halt from the confines of his cherished whip.

"You're very good, no one's ever figured it out so quick, _if_ they figure it out. It's one of my favorite ambush tactics." Leon commented absentmindedly as he coiled the whip and placed it back in the special holder he had attached to the saddle.

"You planned it very well; it's an unnusual tactic. I hope you don't expect it to work twice." Halt said,

"On you, I'm surprised it even worked once." Leon said at the same time Will asked: "Was ambushing people something you did often?"

"When my father used me during his 'missions', yes." He replied shortly, annoyed that he had given Will such an easy openning.

"I can't wait till your apprentices graduate; I bet they'll get you every time." Halt said as he pointed Abelard towards the Gathering once more.

* * *

Leon sat back on his heels and studied his handiwork; _I wonder where Will went..._ Rather more than bored, he hauled their gear into the newly set up tent, then started exploring.

"Are you as bored as I am?" Kayle queried as Leon wandered amongst the tents.

"If you're so bored that beating your head against a rock sounds fun, then yes." Leon responded dryly.

"Hey, would you mind showing me how you use that whip? It's really cool, as well as useful." Leon grinned; "No problem."

* * *

"That's neat; did Will teach you?" A small, black haired boy asked, watching Leon curiously. Word had gotten around that Will had an apprentice, as well as some of his feats: like how he managed to stay on Shara, as well as running all the way from Seacliff to Old Bob's and his and Kayle's successful ambush of Halt. The tales had been exaggerated in the retelling, of course; some of the younger ones were in awe. Others were jealous.

"No, I taught myself; I've shown Will a few tricks, but he hasn't much of a knack for it." Leon replied, "Here, you try now." He said, handing the whip to Kayle, who performed the trick without too much difficulty.

"What all can you do with that?" The boy asked in wonder, "By the way, my name is Alex."

"I'm Leon."

"Yeah, I know; have you known Kayle for very long?" At this, Leon looked at Alex in confusion; "You already knew my name?"

"Yeah; did you really stay on your horse when it tried to buck you off?"

* * *

"Will, come here." Crowley said, beckoning to him. Curious, Will and Gilan, whom he had been talking to, followed. "Have you seen what your apprentice is up to?" Will looked at him, worried, "No, not at exactly this moment." Crowley chuckled, then pointed towards the camping area.

"What's that he has in in hand?" Gilan wondered

"That would be a blacksnake whip." Will replied; "I knew he was good with one, and he tried to teach me a few things with it, but I've never seen him do anything like this." All three watched in silence as Leon flicked, tossed, twisted, and cracked his whip in a variety of ways; he even made it stand up, making it look quite like a snake.

"By the gods, the boy's good." Crowley commented; "If he can do anything half so good, then I don't think you have to worry about him passing inspection." Gilan nodded, but Will just shook his head;

"He's pretty good with most things, but the only thing I've seen him do that shows as must skill as that," He said, nodding in Leon's direction, where he was showing Alex how to crack the whip properly; "is his riding."

"So it's true then, those rumors? That he stayed on Shara, that wicked little mare that loves to buck?" Crowley asked.

"He did, though he was rather shaken. She threw him the very next morning though, when he wasn't expecting it."

"Still, it's quite something; makes me wonder what all he knows."

"Me too Crowley, me too."

* * *

"Ow!" A rusty haired boy exclaimed as the lash stung him, "You're holding the whip wrong; you hold it like-" Leon began, "I know how to hold the bloody whip!" The boy exclaimed; a third year apprentice whose name was Milo.

"Well then, hold it properly, not like it's a dagger!" Leon fumed back; "You'll hurt someone besides yourself if you're not careful!"

"I'll hurt _you_ if _you're_ not careful!" Milo threatened, raising the whip. He laughed; "You couldn't hurt a flea the way you're using it!" Angry, Milo flicked the lash out, but Leon used his forearm to block, letting the lash wind around his arm before he jerked it out of Milo's hands.

"You cocky little git!" Milo shouted, "You're not man enough to fight with your hands, are you?"

"Only a fool fights a fool." He replied coolly, taking a step back and crossing his arms.

"Oh, so you think I'm a fool, do you?!"

"No, just a misguided, incompetent, slow witted, beligerent dullard that's forgotten how to use his brain." His insult was so calmly stated that it took Milo a moment to process it. "And just so you know, I don't fight people that don't have a chance of beating me." At this, Milo laughed; he was older, a little taller, and good at fighting.

"You talk big, but you have nothing to back your words." Alex tugged on his sleeve; "Just leave Leon alone, you don't want to get in trouble; he's Will Treaty's apprentice."

"Oh, so you think I'd lose miserably? Thanks Alex, for standing up for me; but there's only one language his type understand." Leon's eyes glinted darkly, his tone laced with ice. For a moment, Milo almost backed down, but his ego got the better of him. _So he thinks he's that good? __I__ think he needs to be taken down a peg!_

_

* * *

_

They watched in silence as the exchange of words was made; "Do you think Leon will actually fight?" Will nodded, "I don't think it's in him to back down, but he won't start it; he'll let Milo do that."

"You know, it may not be a good idea to let them have at it; one of them might get hurt."

"We'll intervene before that happens, but if we break things up now, they'll be butting heads and won't learn anything."

* * *

Milo swaggered toward Leon, who was still standing with his arms crossed. Feinting with his left, Milo swung a hard right for Leon's jaw. Only Leon was no longer there; he had slipped to the left, tripping Milo as he went. Hitting the ground hard, Milo started to get back to his feet, then lunged; Leon went back half a step, jerking his knee up into the taller boy's face. Crying out in pain, Milo caught himself with his hands and shook his head to clear it, sending drops of blood everywhere.

"This is your last warning: you can walk away now, with just a bloody nose, or you can pursue this foolhardy and reckless choice of yours." Angered by this, Milo started up, but then something his mentor had once said crossed his mind; _Don't push something unless it's necessary, and if you're over-matched, backing down isn't cowardly; it's smart._ With that thought in mind, he faced Leon; he'd been given an out, and he was going to take it. He wanted no part of this cool, calculating boy. "I guess I shouldn't have started something I couldn't finish." He said with a laugh, "I was frustrated that I couldn't get the whip to do what I wanted: you make it look so easy." Leon laughed with him; "A whip is a hard thing to master; it takes a lot more finesse than the average weapon."

"Could you show me how that went again?"

* * *

I know, rather anti-climatic, but I didn't think a Ranger's apprentice would be dumb enough to continue a fight that he wouldn't be able to win; he's a _Ranger's_ apprentice after all. Actually, I just kinda threw that in there spur of the moment, but I think it turned out well.

What do you guys think of Kayle and Leon ambushing Halt?

**_REVIEW (:_**


	15. Acting Rashly

*Disclaimer: me no own RA q:

To Scaryman: first of all, I'd like to thank you for your review; it really made me think about my characters and where I am going with this fanfic (:

Amaleah can be his wife's brother's daughter, whose family all died, so Duncan took her in. Or... he remarried early enough that Amaleah would be the age she is (14), which is quite a few years younger than Cassandra.

How is the food 'too modern'? I specifically looked up medieval era recipes (like the fennel chicken) The way they talk may be a bit modern, but I don't recall John Flanagan using the language of the time, which would have been old english, which would sound something like: "How hast thou been, Ranger Halt? Hast thine day been well with thee?" versus: "How have you been Halt? Has your day gone well?" Also, RA is set in a world _he_ created, not in old time england. I'm not sure how I would change it, if I did; and I don't see how it detracts from the actual story. Though I should probably use less contractions... I guess I'm just so much in the habit of using them that I don't think about it.

THANK YOU for telling me what her name was; I remembered it once, but wasn't at my computer at the time, and so forgot before I could change it (: So she _did_ get married... *sigh* I really wish I could get my hands on the sixth book, and the seventh, and the eighth... :3 Well, I'll either go back and change it (when I figure out how), or we can pretend that Steven got struck by lightning or something .

How are the Rangers 'weak and useless'? How can Leon 'beat everyone at everything' if he hasn't ever competed with them? Note that his strengths are things that are unusual, like his whip skills and his running, and most people don't gain a whole lot of 'horse savvy' at such a young age; note that even the Rangers and knights (the two main groups of people that ride a lot) don't train their own horses, they just ride the thoroughly trained horses that they have others train. Leon was riding before he could walk (being held in front of the saddle by his father) and was riding by himself when he was three; he's had to ride greenbroke horses with bad vices, and has even had to train his own. He often had to ride a bad horse when he was 'on the run' with his father, so a bucking horse isn't a problem. I've had to train every horse I own; you gain a LOT more experience by training than you do just by riding, and you learn it much faster. _Kayle_ and Leon had a lot of luck when they ambushed Halt; he makes plenty of mistakes; his archery and knife skills aren't anywhere near superb, and I never said they were. In fact, I said they _weren't_; I said they were his weakest point.

Will is 'impressed' (as you put it) with Leon mostly because he's so much different than Will himself. Leon is usually very self contained, doesn't ask a whole lot of questions, and is independent; after all, how many 15yr olds are able to run away from home and actually _make it_ on their own? Also, he has an incredible-to-the-point-of-causing-problems amount of determination that makes him stubborn; he often pushes himself past his limit by sheer force of will. It's not an unfamiliar trait in adults and upper-age teens, but I don't know many- actually, I don't know anyone of any age that has _that_ much determination.

I know that in 'characterizing' Leon, his strengths are usually what show the most, and I've been planning several scenes that show plenty of his faults; I've just had a hard time fitting them into the story/plot line.

And your review really did make me think; I actually didn't have much of an idea of what to have happen at the Gathering, but came up with ideas after reading your review (: Thanks again.

WOW... that was long....

Anywayz:

Onto the chapter!

**Chapter 14**

"What's for dinner? Stew again?" One of the Rangers joked; but the question was serious. You see, it was only the second day and they've had stew for lunch twice and dinner once.

"I bet Leon could make some fennel chicken for us." Will said with a laugh; Leon, who had been participating in a knife throwing competition, froze, staring at Will with a look akin to horror. Knife still in hand, seeing as he was about to make his throw; he looked rather like a creative statue.

"He knows how to cook?" Someone asked. Will opened his mouth to answer, but Leon cut him off; "I refuse to so much as touch a single cooking utensil." His arms were crossed and he wore a look that spelled trouble.

"What do you mean? You-" Will began,

"That was for a _much_ smaller group of people, and that was a first attempt. There is _no way_ that you can make me do it again." Glaring resolutely, he waited for Will's answer.

"Why won't you? It isn't like we wouldn't help." Will groaned inwardly; _Of all places to have an arguement with my apprentice..._

"If there's one thing I can't do, it's cook; that, and play the flute. And believe me, you do not want to know the story behind that." A few eyebrows go up in surprise;

"Must be a good story then; do tell." Gilan said with a grin, "It sounds interesting." Leon remained silent and stony faced. Everyone that was in hearing range was beginning to take notice; Leon was practically emanating tension. Will knew he had to find a resolution before things could get out of hand.

"I see that you haven't gotten any less stubborn, but I didn't think you were disrespectful." Halt commented;

"Refusing to cook is hardly disrespectful; unless I was complaining about the stew, which I wasn't, and cooking was the only alternative offered." Leon retorted, "I'll eat the bloody stew without complaint; just leave me alone and quit trying to make me into someone I'm not! Cooking isn't even a part of my training."

"So you think it's fine to deny your mentor in front of his peers?" Halt countered.

"No, but I think it's perfectly within my rights to assert my opinion." He shot back;

"You're an apprentice, you're not supposed to think." Will, Gilan, and Halt replied at the same time. For Leon, this was the last straw; "_**Quit contradicting yourselves in everything you say!!!**_" He snapped, "_You say I'm not supposed to think! That I'm not supposed to have my own opinion! __**What am I then?! Your PUPPET!!!**__ Are you going to spend the rest of your life thinking for me?!!! __**How am I supposed to learn anything!!!**_" With this, he threw his knife at the target in anger, but the rotation was off and it hit butt first. Practically breathing fire, he turned and stalked off, gaining speed as he went. By the time he reached the trees, he was running.

"That _did_ take a turn for the nasty, didn't it?"

* * *

Fuming, he jerked the slip-knot loose and flung the lead rope up and over Shara's neck; she was off and running as he sprang onto her bareback, not bothering to saddle up.

* * *

"I take it that he typically isn't this temperamental." Crowley commented, observing Will's baffled expression.

"No, he's not; hardly ever. He's usually just quiet and sarcastic, not explosive." Will sighed, running a hand through his hair and looking in the direction Leon had taken. Still practicing with his knife, Kayle had listened to this exchange speculatively and now decided to ask a question of his own.

"When Leon first became your apprentice, how good was he with archery and all that?" Will looked at him, surprised at the odd question; "With the bow he was fairly good for being self-taught, but barely mediocre; he was better with the throwing knife and saxe, but only slightly. Why?" Will replied, wondering what on earth this had to do with anything. "He's caught on pretty quickly to everything I've taught him, but he needs a _lot_ more practice." Kayle nodded;

"That's what I thought. You see, he's been getting more and more frustrated as the day has worn on; he doesn't feel like he's good enough, especially when he misses or does something wrong. He hasn't been an apprentice for very long, but he still feels like he should be better than he is; when you started with that 'fennel chicken' thing, he just couldn't stand it any longer. But it was when he messed up his knife throw that he lost it." Kayle threw his knife again, hitting the target dead-center; "It's like me and archery; it's my weakest point and frustrates me the most. With a knife" He said as he walked over and pulled his knife out of the stump they had been using for a target, "I've never had much of a problem."

* * *

After galloping a few miles, he turned Shara and started making a sweep of the woods surrounding the Gathering; observing and memorizing landscape was one of the things he did well, and it helped to calm his temper. _I shouldn't have shouted..._ He knew he would have to apoligize, and didn't mind the idea a whole lot; but the look he had seen on Will's face as he had vented on him bothered him more than he cared to admit.

As he rode, he found his thoughts drifting back to the times when he had mouthed off to his teachers, and they were _not_ pleasant memories; they hadn't had a problem punishing him. _I wonder what Will will do when I get back._ Lost in thought, he wasn't watching were he and Shara were going. When she came to an abrupt stop, he looked up to see a small creek in front of them, but that wasn't the problem. The problem was the marshy ground surrounding it.

"Blast..." He muttered as he looked around, trying to find the safest path through. Not seeing one, he decided to trust Shara's instincts and let her find the way. Blowing, she gingerly placed a hoof in the muck and slowly rested her weight on it. As she felt her way along, he stayed perfectly still, knowing that she needed to keep her balance. Abruptly, she turned and plunged back onto dry ground, shaking. He talked softly to her and stroked her neck, looking for a better crossing place.

"C'mon Shara, it looks better over there."

* * *

It was getting dark out, and Will was beginning to worry.

"Leon will come back when he's cooled off Will, don't worry yourself about it." Gilan advised,

"No, it's more than that; something's wrong..." He gazed fixedly in the direction Leon had taken.

"If you're that worried Will, go find him." Halt knew Will had good instincts, and thought that if he felt that something was wrong, then he should go find Leon.

With a nod, Will went to saddle Tug.

* * *

_That has to be at least twenty-five feet across..._ He thought gloomily, staring at the muck that was between him and his destination. _But it's the shortest stretch; everything else is at least forty._He had already looked for an end to the marsh, since going around would be much easier and safer, but he hadn't had any luck. Turning around never even crossed his mind.

"Give it your best shot girl." He whispered softly. Abruptly, she leapt, trying to cross fast enough that they wouldn't get stuck in the mire. If he hadn't felt her tense, he would have fallen off; as it was, he barely had time to grip with his knees and grab a handful of mane.

Plunging and jumping, they were a little over half way across when she slipped and fell...

* * *

_It's full dark now, and still no sign of-_ Will's thoughts were cut off by a high-pitch whinny that ended with a low-pitch whicker; _Shara!_ Tug instantly headed in the direction the call had come from, and in the dim moonlight Will could make out the form of a riderless horse. Upon seeing him, she rushed up, 'talking' to him in low, short whickers and pushing him with her nose. "What happened girl? Where is he?" Immediately, she turned and set off into the darkness.

As they got nearer, Will began to worry; he knew the area well enough to know that the ground along the creek turned into a dangerous bog whenever it rained a lot. _Which it has._ He thought grimly, urging Tug to go faster; _I hope I'm not too late._ Sticking to the edge of the mire, Shara trotted along, her nose close to the ground to help avoid the dangerous spots; of a sudden, she stopped and threw her head up. Bringing Tug to a stop, Will strained to see through the shadows and could barely make out a still form. Slumped against a mostly submerged rock, his forehead resting on his arms, was Leon.

* * *

He couldn't believe how much of his strength had been sapped in his struggle to stay alive; he had needed help getting on Shara, and now he found that he could barely stay on. Slumped forward, he leaned on her neck, his hands tangled in her mane, his mind a tired confusion of sights, sounds, and the memory of that thick, oozing mud that had tried to suck him down into the depths, that had pulled the strength from his body with its cold, slimy hands... Soon he was asleep, lulled by the walking hoofbeats of his mount.

Will watched him carefully, worried that he would fall off. But each time he got close, he would shift his weight without waking. _He must be used to dozing while riding._ Will thought briefly, making a mental note of what all this implied. Bit by bit he was piecing together what he found out through observation and conversation; _He's had a very troubled past._ He mused, looking back at the mud-covered boy. _I hope I can give him a better future._

When they finally got back, everyone was asleep; almost everyone, that is.

"I'll get him; you take care of Tug and Shara." Halt said, stepping forward to gently pull Leon off of Shara's back and carefully untangle his hands from her mane, then carry him to Will's tent. Leon stirred briefly, but didn't come fully awake until he was set down on his blankets. Mumbling his thanks and avoiding eye contact, he turned to rifle through his pack for a change of clothes. Halt watched him speculatively, then left the tent and stood for a moment as he wondered at Will's tastes in apprentices. _He sure knows how to pick them, but at least Leon doesn't ask too many questions; he just needs time. If anyone can help such a boy as this, Will can; he always was a people person..._

_

* * *

_

By the time Will came in, Leon was already asleep, his muddy clothing in the corner where it wouldn't cause any problems. On an impulse, Will reached over and ruffled the boy's hair; "I'ts not always easy, but I hope you will find living worth while." At this, Leon stirred slightly, then settled into a deeper sleep. With a hint of a smile on his lips, Will rolled up in his blankets and went to sleep.

Little did he know how much of an impact this night had on both himself, and his apprentice...

* * *

TA-DA! I'm not sure how good this turned out...

let me know what you think!

_**REVIEW!!!**_** (:**


	16. An Odd Threesome

*Disclaimer: I own nothing originally from RA

I know, I know; this chapter took forever, sorry! Writers block + school + holidays and general craziness = slow updates :(

Anywayz, I had fun writing this; read on!

**Chapter 15**

When Will awoke, Leon was still sleeping soundly, worn out from the events of the night before. _Crazy, crazy, crazy... I sure hope today is better._ With a sigh, he rolled out of his blankets and got dressed; he hadn't gotten to sleep until... too late. After leaving the tent he made a bee-line for the fire, ready for a cup of nice, hot coffee.

His eyes snapped open just in time to see the tent flap close; _It's just Will..._ Slowly, he relaxed; he'd never been a sound sleeper, he'd always been taught to be on guard at all times so it was second nature. With a low groan he began going through his morning rutine, wincing as he cautiously worked all the knots out of his muscles. _Another day..._

Halt, Gilan, and Will were standing near the fire drinking coffee and talking when Leon emerged from the tent and silently made his way toward the fire; most of the Rangers were gathered there, either for the warmth or the coffee. Or both. Quiet, his face expressionless, he glided inbetween people and stopped to warm his hands before heading for the horses.

"Quiet, isn't he?"

"Yes Halt; quiet and stoic, and sometimes a bit of a wet blanket. Just like you."

* * *

"If you brush her any more, she'll blind everyone as soon as she steps into the sunlight." Will commented, slipping up behind Leon, who jumped slightly in surprise;

"Good, then no one will be able to see me."

"If this has anything to do with what happened yesterday-"

"All that happened was that I lost my temper at a very inconvenient time. End of story; that topic is not open to discussion." He sighed, leaning against Shara's flank. "And it's not that; I'm just not any good at most of these things."

"Maybe compared to everyone else, but most of them have been training for at least a year; most of them have for longer than that." Will reminded him, placing a hand on his shoulder. "So long as you're doing your best, it doesn't really matter; you'll catch up. Don't forget, there's other things you do better than any of the others."

* * *

He relaxed, drew, aimed, and fired. _Thunk!_

"You're getting plenty of power into it and your position is good, but your aim needs work." Calmly, he shoved his frustration and irritation to the back of his mind and locked it up. Tight.

"This time, try taking more time aiming..."

* * *

Expressionless, Leon walked toward the tents; they'd taken a break for dinner, and while most of the other apprentices were talking and joking, he walked by himself, silent and brooding. _Not a good sign..._ Will mused; _If he doesn't enjoy the next activity, then something is seriously wrong._ Keeping his eyes on Leon as he took another swallow of coffee, he watched with interest as Kayle caught up to Leon, slowed to match his stride and talked to him. When he reacted with interest, Will wondered what it was that the boy had said, and was pleasantly surprised when he turned around and they both walked back toward the fire.

* * *

"For this exercise you need to be in groups of three." Crowley began, "Your mentors will be out there too, and you can ask them questions, but they can only be yes-or-no questions. This is meant to be a fun exercise, but we will be watching you. Now get into groups of three, get a copy of the list of items and clues and off you get!" Immediately, the boys started to split up, and to Leon's surprise, several wanted to be with him, but he, Kayle, and Milo had already formed their own threesome.

Will's curiosity was piqued; not that it takes much to make him curious, but he found it interesting that Milo and Leon were in the same group of their own free will.

"How do you think Leon will do?" Gilan queried, bringing Will's mind back from its wanderings. "I think he will do quite well; observation and logic are a couple of his stronger points. And since it also involves riding, he should do quite well."

* * *

"What's first on the list?" Leon asked as he settled the saddle onto Shara's back and cinched it up;

"A riddle." Milo replied, glancing at the list before pulling Hawkeye's cinch tight. "My life can be measured in hours, I serve by being devoured. Thin, I am quick; fat, I am slow; wind is my foe."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"We can get back to that one later; what's next?" Leon said as he swung into the saddle,

"'Another riddle: what turns everything around, but does not move?" Milo read before mounting up; Kayle froze with his foot inches from the stirrup; "I think I know what it is; a mirror." He said, looking from Milo, to Leon, and back.

"Do you know where-" Milo began, but Leon cut him off: "Gilan has one; remember? Will asked him if he could borrow it this morning."

"Yeah; Rylla prefers clean-shaved men." Kayle said, managing to keep his face straight.

"Go on ahead and get it, and we'll keep working our way down the list."

* * *

"Could you read that one again?" Leon queried, letting Shara pick her way through the undergrowth.

"I have four legs but no tail. Usually I am heard only at night. What am I?"

"Do you think it could be a frog?"

"They want us to find and bring back a _frog?!_"

"So it would appear; what's next?"

"I drive men mad for love of me, easily beaten, never free."

"Got it!"

"You know the answer?"

"To what? I just caught the frog."

* * *

"Look! It's Gilan!" Milo exclaimed; they were all weary, Leon was covered in mud, Milo was nursing several bad bruises and his injured pride, and they'd been having trouble breathing ever since Kayle had run into that pole-cat...

"Having fun boys?" Gilan queried: and then the smell hit him. "_What_ on _**earth**_ did you run into?!!!"

"Polecat: you don't want to know." Kayle replied wearily, "How are we judged on this thing?"

"I can only answer yes-or-no questions."

"Alright then: are we scored on how much of the stuff we find and bring back? Is this going to take all day? Are we judged on how fast we get everything?" Leon shot off his list of questions, irritated at the delay. Gilan raised an eyebrow reproachfully before answering; "Yes, no, and yes."

"Onward then."

* * *

Halt and Crowley watched in amusement as, one by one, the now bedraggled threesomes dragged themselves back into the camp.

"Brings back memories, doesn't it?" Crowley sighed; "Always on the move, always listening to orders, running about like some crazy person that has nothing better to do than please your mentor..."

"Ah, yes; the joys of youth." Halt muttered sarcastically as Crowley stepped forward to address them.

"Is this everyone?"

"Mostly everyone, so far as I know." As Crowley opened his mouth to officially end the scavenger hunt, three practically unrecognizable youth burst into the clearing.

"What do we have here?"

"Are we too late?" The tallest blurted, his voice instantly identifying him.

"No, you're not too late; but what happened to you?" Crowley queried as he quickly covered his mouth and nose and tried to keep from gagging.

"Laugh all you want, but it's not my fault that Kayle ran into a skunk."

"What about when Hawkeye jumped and you fell off?"

"Why are you arguing? It's totally redundant; the important thing is that we got back in one piece."At this, Milo snorted;

"Barely; I thought our luck had run out when we ran into that bull."

"What bull?" Halt cut in,

"Does it matter?" Leon sighed, rolling his eyes heavenward. "Are you going to grill us on our crazy little adventure that you sent us on, or are we going to finish up this little 'exercise'?" Without waiting for an answer, he simply turned Shara around and walked back to where the others were waiting; behind him, Halt was taking deep breaths and trying not to let himself get irritated. _Why is it that everything he says and does gets on my nerves?_ Halt could ignore most people, even the particularly annoying ones; _He reminds me of-_ Quickly, he broke off that thought; _No, I've never met anyone like him before; he's just another disrespectful teenager._ And, as he shut the door on his memories, he turned his attention back to the present.

"First, we'll see what all you brought back, and then we'll look at how long it took; any questions?" When none spoke up, Crowley continued: "Alright then, lets see what all you were able to find."

* * *

TA-DA!

For those that are waiting for the next chapter of Third Element; yes, I am working on it, no, I don't know when it will be done :/

Anywayz, you know the drill

_**REVIEW!!!**_


	17. Duped

*Disclaimer: I am not John Flanagan. End of story XP

Soooooo I know it's been way too long since I posted, but I was stumped... you know, when your characters go on strike cuz they get fed up with everything you put them through? Yeah.

Leon still hasn't forgiven me for making him run instead of giving him a horse to ride.

But it's posted now! Yay me!

**Chapter 16**

As Crowley and several others started sorting out objects and evaluating each group, Will watched with baited breath. It didn't look like Leon's attitude had changed, which worried him. _I thought for sure he would be in better spirits by the time this was over..._

_

* * *

_

Crowley could hardly conceal how impressed he was – _all of them have done so well. But of course, if they knew that..._ finally, when a decision had been reached, he turned to face the bedraggled clusters of apprentices.

"I want to start by saying that all of you have done well." A few of the apprentices in question shuffled a bit, tense from the waiting and tired from the days events. "It looks like we have a top-notch group this year; in a few years you might actually reach a skill level worth noticing." _Because of course, you can't give them a compliment without a bit of a reminder of how far they have to go._

"We have two groups that tied for first: they didn't get everything, but they got what they could." He glanced around at the hopeful faces in front of him. "Would Matthias, Eli, and Iaos step forward, as well as..." he couldn't resist pausing for a few seconds before he continued. "Milo, Kayle, and Leon." As the six youths stepped forward, the rest began whispered discussions on the outcome and what might be coming next.

"As you know, we can't have a tie, so" he said, looking from boy to boy, "so we're going to have a tie-breaker." He leaned forward. "Both teams will be given three riddles to answer, _but_ only one of you can answer per question, and you must choose that person _before_ you hear the riddle." He straightened up then and looked them over one more time.

"Who's going to answer first?" After a brief discussion between the first set, Eli stepped forward – the others hadn't conversed at all, Leon had simply stepped forward.

"Let's get this over with." Crowley raised his eyebrows and looked at him quizzically: the youth was quite disheveled, and rather surly looking.

"Alright then." Crowley pulled out a piece of well worn parchment and unfolded it slowly. "This is for Eli: you heard me before, yet you hear me again, then I die till you call me again. What am I?" Everyone in the clearing had their eyes on Eli, except for Leon, who looked rather bored with the whole thing.

"An echo?" He replied hesitantly:

"Is that a question or an answer?" Crowley asked, raising an eyebrow.

"An answer." He replied again, more sure of himself this time.

Crowley nodded. "That's correct." Then he turned to Leon: "Ready?" When Leon nodded, he continued.

"One by one we fall from heaven, down into the depths of past; our world is ever upturned so that yet some time we'll last. What am I?"

Leon smiled briefly, then tilted his head and gave Crowley an indecipherable look as he answered. "Sand in an hourglass."

Somewhat surprised by the quick reply, Crowley continued with the riddles, and each answered correctly until they were tied. Again.

But he had expected this, though apparently there were plenty of others who hadn't. _Eli and Leon are well matched – it's a good thing they didn't end up on the same team. It wouldn't be half so interesting._ Crowley mused: they had purposefully used riddles to test their minds, and had made sure that the answers were obscure enough for them to have to work to get them.

_The more stubborn and determined, the better they do._ Will thought wryly as he watched. _It figures that Leon would do well._

"Well done." Crowley said, grinning. "Now let's see how long you last." A few in the crowd shifted, others tensed, and though he didn't look, he could feel Leon's eyes on him, waiting. "This time, the riddle will be given to both of you, and whoever answers correctly first gets it."

"Well then, get on with it." Leon said, looking rather tired of the whole thing.

"A mile from end to end, yet as close as a friend. A precious commodity, freely given. Seen on the dead and on the living. Found -" Leon already had his hand up.

"A smile." Leon stated as soon as Crowley stopped talking, with a smile all his own. _It's not like I'm stupid – I'm actually more used to this than just about anything else. For once Father's training has come in handy. _ Leon thought, slightly bemused. _They shouldn't be looking so surprised._

"Correct." Crowley said, glancing from Leon to Eli before moving on to the next question.

"It cannot be seen, cannot be felt, cannot be heard, cannot be smelt. It lies behind stars and under hills, and empty holes it fills. It comes first and follows after, ends life, kills laughter."

Leon cocked his head to the side and spread his arms in the fading light as if the answer was obvious. "Darkness." And he spoke just in time – Eli had just opened his mouth to answer.

Without pause, Crowley moved onto the next one.

"What does man love more than life, fear more than death or mortal strife. What the poor have, the rich require, and what contented men desire. What the miser spends and the spendthrift saves, and all men carry to their graves?" Crowley was pleased to see that Leon didn't have an immediate answer.

But after a few minutes with no response, Crowley began to wonder if they would answer at all.

"Eli?" He queried, giving him a chance to answer first. He just looked at Crowley and shook his head.

"I have no idea." Crowley then looked to Leon. His face a study of intense concentration with his eyes narrowed, he had a look about him that gave the indelible impression that he was older than he looked, and had seen and endured things that many couldn't even imagine. Crowley could see his lips moving, apparently so caught up in his thoughts that he wasn't even aware that he was talking to himself. A few seconds later, he stopped muttering, grinned, and looked up at Crowley.

"Nothing. Absolutely nothing."

* * *

Will watched his apprentice with concern: things hadn't picked up like he had hoped – Leon was still dragging, despite of his earlier victory.

Hidden partially in shadow, he sat in one of the few places where one could observe everybody else without being out in the open, and was doing something with his hands. _Whittling_? Will wondered, trying to get a better look. _No, sharpening and oiling his knives._

Will sat back with a sigh – he was at the end of his rope. _He's far too concerned with doing everything he's supposed to. Anybody else would welcome the break, but he only finds some other chore to do._ He went back to watching Leon, and noticed a wistful look about him as he handled his saxe and throwing knife. Then Will remembered that, no matter how well he fit in, or how mature he seemed, he was still rather young. _As well as a 'foreigner' of sorts. _As this thought occurred to him, everything clicked into place.

Quickly and quietly, Will stood and went to his tent.

* * *

"What did you do with your mandolla, Will?" Crowley asked, looking at the guitarra Will held in his hand with a puzzled expression.

"This isn't for me: it's for Leon." Will replied. "He's pretty good at it. Hopefully it'll help cheer him up."

"Good idea." Crowley mused, "but where is he?"

"Next to the fire in one of the few spot that you can see without being seen." Will said, nodding in his direction.

"Yes – he seems rather fond of those sort of places, doesn't he? If you're not careful, he'll end up like Halt." Crowley said, laughing and shaking his head.

"We'll see about that." Will answered. "Don't you have a meeting with the Senior Rangers?"

"That I do." He admitted. "Good luck with Leon." With a nod, Will turned and headed toward the fire. Crowley watched him go, then went the opposite direction. _I hope Will's plan works – seeing an apprentice as grim as Halt is a bit disturbing._

_

* * *

_

As Will approached, people started to gather. _He doesn't like crowds._ Will thought, _I hope he won't mind an audience._ When he got closer, Leon looked up, his eyes riveted on the instrument in Will's hand, and as he handed the twelve-string guitarra to him, Leon felt an unfamiliar jolt.

_He cares. _He thought, surprised. _How did he know? Was it that obvious? I didn't think anyone had noticed._ He chose the less-than-obvious spots because he didn't think anyone cared – he'd never felt wanted, so he avoided people. _But apparently they do._ He wasn't sure how to react, and as he began to play he pondered this new sensation in his chest.

"That's a guitarra, isn't it? I didn't know they made them with more than six strings." Alex piped as he sat down nearby.

"The twelve-string ones aren't as common, but yes, it is a qetar." Leon said off-handedly as he worked on tuning the guitarra.

"A what?" Alex queried curiously, leaning forward to watch him better. "Is it a different language? It sounds different."

"Yes, it's from a different language." Leon replied, rolling his eyes. _Note to self: do not refer to it as a qetar around curious people bent on figuring everything out._

"Are you any good?" Milo asked as he and Kayle joined them. Leon looked around at all the curious faces watching him, then grinned:

"I'll let you be the judge of that."

* * *

As Halt and Crowley re-entered the clearing together, they were surprised to see everyone crowded around the fire.

"Sounds like Will pulled out his mandolla." Halt commented. Crowley glanced him out of the corner of his eye, but said nothing. When they got closer, Halt spotted Will – and his mandolla was nowhere in sight. Curious, Halt looked around and spotted Leon in the middle of it all, oblivious to everything but his guitarra.

"How was the meeting?" Will asked as Halt and Crowley joined him.

"Pretty good." Crowley replied, his eyes on Leon. "Where'd he learn to play like that?"

"I don't know, but he must have had one heck of a teacher." Will answered.

When Leon struck the final chord, there were immediate requests for more, and with a mischievous glint in his eye, he began another song...

"Old Dan Tucker was a fine old man, he washed his face in the frying pan, combed his hair with a wagon wheel, and died of the toothache in his heel! Get out the way for old Dan Tucker, he's too late to git his supper: supper's over and dishes washed, nothing left but a piece of squash." As soon as he started, Will recognized the song and choked on his coffee – much to the amusement of Halt, Crowley, and Gilan, who had joined them just a few moments before.

"Are you okay, Will?" Halt queried, eyebrows raised – he'd noticed Will's surprised look as soon as the song started, and was wondering what exactly had set Will off.

He couldn't help remember a certain apprentice who had changed a certain song around... and paid dearly for it.

Crowley and Gilan were remembering that little incident too.

"It's nothing, just..." Will began, but trailed off when he saw the looks he was getting from all three of his companions. Then he remembered what Leon had said that night, _'letting your target know what the joke is takes all the fun out of it'... but if you look at it differently, then- _his train of thought broke off as he realized what exactly Leon had meant.

"Well I'll be..." he muttered to himself. "Duped by my own apprentice."

* * *

_**TA-DA!!!**_

Interesting twist at the end, right? Anywho, thanks for all the reviews! Sorry it took me so long to post this :/

_**REVIEW!!!**_


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